Critical Opportunities for Public Heath Law: Increasing the Driving Age to 18

Angela Hickey Bettina Makon

University of Pennsylvania

A Problem Motor Vehicle Crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of death in

teens. Teen drivers aged 16-19 are 3X more likely to be in a fatal MVC than

those 20 and older. In the year 2010:

2700 teens aged 16-19 were killed from MVCs ~7 died per day. 50% of teen deaths from MVCs occurred between 3pm and midnight. 282,000 teens were treated in the ED due to MVCs.

Teenage drivers risk of death in a crash increases 44% with one teenage passenger and quadruples with three or more teenage passengers

Between 1995-2004, 30,900 fatalities involved 15 -17 year old drivers. Of those deaths, 1/3 were the teen drivers, while the remaining 20,000 were other people, such as their passengers, pedestrians, and others involved in the accident.

Where does Law fit in? A law increasing the driving age to 18 and thus

prohibiting 16-17 year olds from driving would likely decrease the mortality and associated injuries of MVCs.

Evidence Supporting The Reform

All states use a graduated system when licensing teenage drivers that has shown to decrease crash risk up to 40%. In addition, some states have implemented additional restrictions to further decrease teenage MVCs.

Restricting passengers: All but 7 states forbid more than two teens in a car and 15 states forbid any teenage passengers when a teen is driving 7% lower with one teenage passenger and 21% lower fatal crash rate when no teenage passengers.

Nighttime restrictions 40-60% reductions in teenage crashes.

In NJ: Licensing age is 17 decreases fatal crashes

and lowers injury crash rates. Red decals on license plates of those under 18

allows restrictions to be enforced by police prevented 1600 crashes in 1st yr

Strength of Evidence

Magnitude of Effect

A Way Forward Barriers of a new law:

Teens will have to burden family and others for a means of transportation to work, sports activities, to hang with friends. Opponents claim raising the driving age will punish all young drivers for the mistakes a few of their peers made.

The political environment is already primed for change states already restrict number of teenage passengers and times of day licensed 16-17 year olds are allowed to drive. States also receive federal incentives to tighten restrictions.

The financial cost of implementing the law is minimal states would lose titling and registration fees for those purchasing vehicles and licensing fees for all 16-17 year olds. Parents and the teens who pay for car insurance, gasoline,

and car maintenance fees could save thousands.