The Effect of Graduated Driver Licensing on Teen Driver Crash Involvement.

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to answer the following questions: 1. What is the effect of each component of Graduated Driver Licensing (learner license duration, required hours of supervised driving, passenger restrictions and nighttime driving restrictions) on 16- and 17-year-old drivers’ fatal crash rates? 2. What is the effect of GDL on 18-year-old drivers’ crash rates, and what mechanisms might be responsible for any increase in rates? Method: To answer question 1, states that introduced a single GDL component, independent of other components were identified. The effect of the single GDL component on 16- and 17-year-old drivers fatal crashes was estimated using single-state time series analysis, adjusting for adult crashes and gas prices. To answer question 2, single-state time series analysis was used to estimate the effect of GDL on 16-, 17-, and 18-year-old drivers’ crashes in Florida and Michigan, where GDL applies to 15- to 17-year-old drivers, and in Maryland, where GDL applies to novice drivers of all ages, adjusting for adult crashes and gas prices. Results: A learner license period that guaranteed six-months delay in licensure to drive independently was associated with a significant decline in 16- and 17-year-old drivers’ fatal crash rates. In one state, novice drivers’ fatal crash rates increased 34.5% following the introduction of 30 hours of required supervised driving. A passenger restriction for the first 12 months of intermediate licensure was followed by a 46% reduction in fatal passenger crash rates that approached significance (p= .06). Nighttime driving restrictions, implemented alongside supervised driving hours, did not reduce fatal nighttime crashes. The introduction of GDL was followed by a significant increase in possible-injury/property-damage-only crashes among 18-year-old drivers in Michigan and by a significant decrease in possible-injury/property-damage-only crashes among 18-year-old drivers’ rates in Maryland. Conclusion: Some GDL components confer a safety benefit. However, the entire program is responsible for a greater reduction in crashes than the additive contribution of individual components. GDL programs applied exclusively to 16- and 17-year-old drivers may result in some teens not being licensed until age 18. Requiring all novice drivers to complete a GDL program is recommended.PHDHealth Behavior & Health EducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93997/1/jpehsani_1.pd

Teenage Drivers Portable Electronic Device Use While Driving

Young drivers’ crash risk increases when they engage in certain secondary tasks while driving. Using a sample of participants from the NEXT Generation Health Study who reported having an independent driving license and driving at least one day in the last 30 days (n = 1,243), the prevalence of portable electronic device use while driving was estimated. Two measures of prevalence were calculated: (1) engaging in the behavior at least once in the last 30 days; (2) percentage of days engaged in the behavior, relative to the number of days driven in the last 30 days. A total of 82.84% reported engaging in electronic device use while driving at least once in the last 30 days. Specifically, 71.13% made or answered a phone call, 64.84% read or sent a text message, 20.29% read or sent an email, 29.11% checked a website, 71.64% changed music, 12.80% used a tablet or computer, and 52.64% looked at directions or a map. Young drivers reported using electronic devices while driving on 19.06% of the days they drove. Males were more likely to use tablet or computer while driving, teens from moderate and high affluence households were more likely to check websites, and rural participants were less likely to look at directions or a map than urban participants. The number of days participants reported driving in the last 30 days, but not self-reported miles driven, was associated with a higher likelihood of using an electronic device while driving

Association Between Cell Phone Restrictions and Teens\u27 Self-Reported Cell Phone Use While Driving

The purpose of this study was to describe the association between a range of cell phone restrictions and self-reported cell phone use while driving among teen drivers. Methods: U.S. high school students (N=780) from 14 states completed questionnaires, including items on cell phone use while driving. Cell phone restrictions for each state were identified using the Public Health Law Research Distracted Driving Law database and divided into five categories. Associations between cell phone restrictions and self-reported cell phone use while driving were estimated as odds ratios, adjusting for driving exposure. Results: In states with cell phone restrictions, teens were less likely to report talking or texting while driving, relative to teens in states with no restrictions. Talking and texting while driving were significantly less likely in states with texting restrictions for all drivers. All driver texting restrictions combined with teen hand-held phone restrictions were significantly associated with lower texting but not talking while driving. Conclusions: The presence of restrictions appears to be better than no restrictions with respect to self-reported teen cell phone use. Further research is needed to determine whether restrictions applying exclusively to teen drivers or restrictions for all drivers provide the greatest safety benefit

Novice Teenage Driver Cell Phone Use Prevalence

Novice teenage drivers have high crash rates due to inexperience; therefore, cell phone-related secondary task engagement (distracted driving) is likely to aggravate crash risk for this population. A previous study of teenage distracted driving behavior, found that 34% of 16-17- year-olds had texted, and 52% reported talking on a cell phone while driving (Madden & Lenhart, 2009). In the current study, data from the NEXT Generation Health Study were analyzed to estimate the prevalence of cell phone-related distracted driving in a nationally representative sample of U.S. eleventh grade students, the age when most teenagers are first eligible to receive a license to drive independently. Using the subsample of teenagers that reported having a license that allowed independent, driving (n = 881), the prevalence of cell phone-related distracted driving was estimated. Nationwide, four out of five (80.0%) teenage drivers reported making or receiving a call, and 72.0% reported sending or receiving a text message at least one day in the past 30 days. In addition, teenagers reported talking on 32.6% and texting on 40.3% of the days they drove. Access to a vehicle, the number of miles teenagers drove each day (the more driving the more phone use), and race/ethnicity (Asians had lower cell phone use than Whites, Hispanics, or African-Americans), were significantly associated with cell phone-related distracted driving. These findings indicate a higher prevalence of teenage cell phone use while driving than previous studies. More research is needed to understand predictors, safety outcomes, and prevention approaches for teenage distracted driving

Validity of the C-RDS Self-Reported Risky Driving Measure

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Checkpoints Risky Driving Scale (C-RDS) in relation to the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and an objective measure of risky driving. Naturalistic and survey data were collected over an 18-month period from 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers. Kinematic Risky Driving was operationally defined as the rate of elevated gravitational-force events per 100 miles obtained from accelerometers and global positioning systems. Two self-report measures of risky driving, the C-RDS and the DDDI, were assessed at 6-months, 12-months, and 18-months after licensure. Reliability was examined for each measure with correlations and autoregressive models over three time points. Validity was assessed by correlations between the measures and cross-lagged autoregressive models of the longitudinal association of self-reported measures with Kinematic Risky Driving and vice versa. Both the C-RDS and DDDI measures demonstrated substantial stability over time and were highly correlated with each other. The C-RDS measure was significantly associated with Kinematic Risky Driving. The findings provide evidence for the reliability and validity of C-RDS

Measuring Young Drivers’ Behaviors during Complex Driving Situations

Driving behaviors of teenagers and adults in complex driving situations, viz., merges and intersections, from an 18-month longitudinal naturalistic driving study were analyzed. Variables from multiple sources were selected to create an Unsafe Driving Index to rate drivers’ behaviors in these locations. Teenagers scored lower on this index, corresponding to safer driving behaviors, than adults. However, the teenagers’ scores for the index increased across the study period. The interpretations of these findings are discussed with respect to the methodological aspects of the study and in terms of driver training and rule following

Driving performance in older adults: Current measures, findings, and implications for roadway safety

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Over 10,000 people a day turn 65 in the United States. For many older adults, driving represents an essential component of independence and is one of the most important factors in overall mobility. Recent survey studies in older adults suggest that up to 60% of older adult drivers with mild cognitive impairment, and up to 30% with dementia, continue to drive. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive and detailed resource on the topics of cognition and driving for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers working on efforts related to older adult drivers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Publications on PubMed and Medline and discussions with experts working in geriatrics, technology, driving policy, psychology, and diverse aspects of driving performance were utilized to inform the current review. RESULTS: Research indicates that there is a complex and inverse correlation between multiple cognitive measures, driving performance, and risky driving behaviors. The fragmented nature of available peer-reviewed literature, and a reliance on correlative data, do not currently allow for the identification of the temporal and reciprocal nature of the interplay between cognition and driving endpoints. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: There are currently no widely accepted definitions, conceptual models, or uniform set of analyses for conducting geriatric research that is focused on driving. Establishing conventions for conducting research that harmonizes the fields of geriatrics, cognition, and driving research is critical for the development of the evidence base that will inform clinical practice and road safety policy

Making New Mobility a Win for Public Health

69A3551747128Designing mobility interventions to improve public health requires a framework that formulates strategies for the deployment of mobility to maximize the potential for cross-cutting public health impacts. Researchers developed such a framework using a combination of epidemiology and simulation modeling. A case study is presented to demonstrate how a strategic dose of mobility could improve food access for the South Baltimore community of Cherry Hill

Designing a Study to Investigate Older Novice Drivers

DTNH2217D00031/693JJ920F000207Drivers 15 to 20 years old\u2014many of whom were novice drivers\u2014represented 8.5 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes but only 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers in 2020. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws are the most effective behavioral countermeasure for young drivers. However, although an increasing proportion of young people are delaying licensure until 18 or older, few States currently apply the full GDL program to 18- to 20-year-old novice drivers, and little is known about the safety and driving habits of this group. In this project the research team developed a hypothetical naturalistic driving study to investigate research questions about the safety and driving exposure of younger (15.5 to 16.5 years old) and older (18 to 20 years old) novice drivers in the first year of unsupervised (independent) driving

Determinants of male reproductive health disorders: the Men in Australia Telephone Survey (MATeS)

Background: The relationship between reproductive health disorders and lifestyle factors in middle-aged and older men is not clear. The aim of this study is to describe lifestyle and biomedical associations as possible causes of erectile dysfunction (ED), prostate disease (PD), lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and perceived symptoms of androgen deficiency (pAD) in a representative population of middle-aged and older men, using the Men in Australia Telephone Survey (MATeS). Methods: A representative sample (n = 5990) of men aged 40+ years, stratified by age and State, was contacted by random selection of households, with an individual response rate of 78%. All men participated in a 20-minute computer-assisted telephone interview exploring general and reproductive health. Associations between male reproductive health disorders and lifestyle and biomedical factors were analysed using multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]). Variables studied included age, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, co-morbid disease and medication use for hypertension, high cholesterol and symptoms of depression. Results: Controlling for age and a range of lifestyle and co-morbid exposures, sedentary lifestyle and being underweight was associated with an increased likelihood of ED (1.4 [1.1-1.8]; 2.9 [1.5-5.8], respectively) and pAD (1.3 [1.1-1.7]; 2.7 [1.4-5.0], respectively. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease were both associated with ED, with hypertension strongly associated with LUTS and pAD. Current smoking (inverse association) and depressive symptomatology were the only variables independently associated with PD. All reproductive disorders showed consistent associations with depression (measured either by depressive symptomatology or medication use) in both age-adjusted and multivariate analyses. Conclusion: A range of lifestyle factors, more often associated with chronic disease, were significantly associated with male reproductive health disorders. Education strategies directed to improving general health may also confer benefits to male reproductive health.Carol A. Holden, Robert I. McLachlan, Marian Pitts, Robert Cumming, Gary Wittert, Johnathon P. Ehsani, David M. de Kretser, David J. Handelsma