Research In Action
Research In Action
It has been nearly six years since New Jersey strengthened its already robust Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program by enacting the first-in-the-nation decal provision (Kyleigh’s Law, P.L. 2009, c. 037-S2314). With funding from a variety of non-governmental sources and the support of the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission and the NJ Department of Transportation, which provided driver licensing and crash data, I led a series of studies [1,2,3] to assess the long-term changes in crash rates after the decal’s implementation on May 10, 2010.
I am thrilled to be invited to present our findings to the NJ Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee Hearing today, along with others who were key in the passage, evaluation, and ongoing enforcement of this provision.
Since these studies were published, at least six states have considered implementing a decal provision. Most recently, California Assemblyman Kansen Chu, D-San Jose, introduced AB 2322, a bill that would require the DMV to distribute removable student-driver decals to teens with learner’s permits.
There’s also support for GDL decals from the traffic safety research community. The National Safety Council’s recent report -- A New GDL Framework: Evidence Base to Integrate Novice Driver Strategies -- identified license plate decals as a GDL component that could enhance safety. This exhaustive report aims to help states reinvigorate their GDL programs with the latest evidence, including CHOP’s findings.
Findings to Share With Policymakers
Since the GDL decal was implemented in NJ, intermediate driver crashes have decreased.
- The decal provision was associated with a sustained two-year 9.5% decline in crash rates among intermediate teen drivers in the two years post-implementation compared with the four years before implementation.
- Crash involvement of an estimated 3,197 intermediate drivers was prevented in the first two years post-decal.
Police enforcement of GDL increased after implementation of the GDL decal in NJ.
- There was a 14% increase in the rate of GDL-related citations issued to intermediate drivers in the first year, although the increase seemed to be concentrated in the few months after implementation.
Requiring decals only among permit holders is not sufficient.
- NJ’s GDL decal provision was not associated with a change in crash rates among permit holders, likely because these drivers already experience very lower crash rates and have very high compliance rates.
- It is possible, however, that requiring decal use during the permit period may help establish safe driving behaviors and/or contribute to compliance with the decal and other GDL provisions in the intermediate phase.
The Teen Driver Safety team at CHOP has also created an educational fact sheet to share with state legislators interested in considering a decal provision to strengthen their GDL programs.