Graduated Driver LicenseIowa’s Experience With GDL

Scott R. Falb

Research & Statistical Analysis

Office of Driver Services, Iowa DOT

29th International Traffic Records Forum July 17, 2003

History of Iowa’s GDL Law

Graduated Driver License first proposed in 1960’s.

National model law proposed in early 1990’s.

Congress passes legislation providing incentives to states to pass the provisions of the model law in the mid-90’s.

Law was passed by the Iowa Legislature in 1998.

Law took effect on January 1, 1999.

Provisions of the Model Graduated Driver License Law

Instruction Permit held for at least six months.Must obtain parent’s or guardian’s written permission to get permit.

Must be accompanied by a parent or an approved adult when driving.

Must complete first level driver education program to advance to next level.

Must complete thirty (30) hours of driving, including ten (10) hours of night driving, with parents or guardians to advance to next level.

Must be crash and conviction-free for 6 months to advance to next level

Provisions of the Model Graduated Driver License Law

Intermediate Driver License held for at least one year.Restricted driving hours; no driving between 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM without adult supervision.Number of passengers restricted to none in the first six (6) months and one other young person when driving without adult supervision after.Zero tolerance for alcohol use prior to or while driving.Must complete twenty (20) hours driving, including ten (10) hours of night driving, with parent or guardians to advance to next level.Must complete second level of driver education to advance to next level.Must be crash and conviction-free for one year in order to advance to next level.

Provisions of Iowa’s Graduated Driver License Law

Instruction Permit can be held for six (6) months to two (2) years.Must obtain parent or guardian written consent to drive to get permit .

Must be accompanied by parent or an approved adult when driving.Must complete a single level driver education program to advance to next levelMust complete twenty (20) hours of driving, including two (2) hours night driving, with parent or guardian to advance to next level.Must be crash and conviction-free for six (6) months to advance to the next level.

Provisions of Iowa’s Graduated Driver License Law

Iowa law allows students aged fourteen and one-half (14½) to sixteen (16) to obtain a School License Allowed to drive to and from school and to and from school activities unaccompanied by adult

after completing single level driver education and if crash and conviction-free for six (6) months prior to obtaining school license.

Can carry passengers from driver’s home to school or school activity.

Provisions of Iowa’s Graduated Driver License Law

Intermediate License held for at least one year.Restricted driving hours; no driving between the hours of 12:30 PM to 5:00 AM without adult supervision.Number of passengers only restricted to the number of safety belts in the vehicle.Zero tolerance for alcohol consumption prior to or while driving.Must complete ten (10) hours of driving, including two (2) hours of night driving, with parent or guardian to advance to next level.Must be crash and conviction-free for one year to advance to the next level.

Comparison Between Iowa Law and Model GDL Law

Iowa has:A three tiered licensing system for Graduated Driver License.An instruction permit that must be held for at least six (6) months.Driver Education required to advance to next level for instruction permit holder.Practice driving with parent or guardian (both daytime and nighttime) required to advance to next level for both driver with instruction permit and driver with an intermediate license.Period of crash and conviction-free driving required to advance to next level for both instruction permit and intermediate license.An intermediate license that must be held for at least one year.Zero tolerance for alcohol for all drivers under twenty-one (21) years of age.Number of passengers for intermediate license holder restricted to the number of safety belts in the vehicle.

Comparison Between Iowa Law and Model GDL Law

Where Iowa Differs from the Model Law:Only single level of driver education offered. No second level.Only 20 hours of practice driving required on instruction permit instead of 30 hours.Only 10 hours of practice driving required on intermediate license instead of 20 hours.Only 2 hours of nighttime practice each required on instruction permit and intermediate license instead of 10 hours nighttime driving practice each. Passengers restricted to the number of safety belts instead of no passengers for first six (6) months during intermediate license.Driving hours unaccompanied restricted between 12:30 AM to 5:00 AM for intermediate license holder instead of 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM in the model law.

Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Conviction Data Shows

Young drivers received 20% fewer moving traffic convictions in the first year of GDL (1999). Young drivers received 27% fewer moving traffic convictions in the second year of GDL (2000).Younger Drivers received 6.6% more moving traffic convictions in the third year of GDL (2001).Younger Drivers received 2.4% more moving traffic convictions in the fourth year of GDL (2002).Overall, there was a 36.8% decrease in the number of moving traffic convictions for 16 year old drivers.

Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Conviction Data Shows

Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 1998 (Pre-GDL): 13,720Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 1999 (GDL 1st Year): 10,937 Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 2000 (GDL 2nd Year) 7,947Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 2001 (GDL 3rd Year ) 8,468Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 2002 (GDL 4th Year ) 8,468

Moving Traffic Convictions Received By 16 Year Old Drivers

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Convictions

Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Crash Data Shows

Young drivers received 10% fewer traffic crashes in the first year of GDL (1999). Young drivers received 10% fewer traffic crashes in the second year of GDL (2000).

Younger Drivers received 1.5% fewer traffic crashes in the third year of GDL (2001).

Younger Drivers received 7.6% fewer traffic crashes in the fourth year of GDL (2002).

Overall, there was a 26.1% decrease in the number of moving traffic convictions for 16 year old drivers.

Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Crash Data Shows

Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 1998 (Pre-GDL): 6,206Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 1999 (GDL 1st Year): 5,574 Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 2000 (GDL 2nd Year) 5,040Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 2001 (GDL 3rd Year ) 4,965Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 2002 (GDL 4th Year ) 4,588

Traffic Crashes Involving 16 Year Old Drivers

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Traffic Crashes

Driver Improvement Remedial Actions For Problem Drivers

Approximately 21,000 interviews held each year

Approximately 200 drivers received new restrictions

Approximately 100 drivers get their license downgraded

Approximately 350 drivers get suspended for suspended for failed-to-appear for interview

Approximately 4,000 drivers are suspended each year for bad driving behavior

Driver Improvement Interviews

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

1999 2000 2001 2002

Interviews

Driver Improvement: New Restrictions

0

50

100

150

200

250

1999 2000 2001 2002

New Restrictions

Driver Improvement:License Downgrade

010

2030

4050

607080

90100

1999 2000 2001 2002

License Downgrade

Driver Improvement:License Suspension—Failed-To-Appear

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1999 2000 2001 2002

Suspensions

Driver Improvement:Percent Suspended for Failed-To-Appear

0%1%

1%2%

2%3%3%

4%4%

5%5%

1999 2000 2001 2002

Percent Suspended

Conclusions:After a big drop in the first two years of GDL, moving traffic convictions have risen slightly in the latest two years.

After 10% drop in the number of traffic crashes for the first two years, crash decreases have slowed significantly for the latest two years.

The percentage of drivers who failed to appear for their interview has steadily decreased.

License Suspensions for bad driving behavior has steadily increased.

Driver Improvement:Suspended Driving Behavior

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

1999 2000 2001 2002

Suspensions