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Project
Characteristics |
Youth
Public-Private Partnership
Licensing
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Program
Areas |
Occupant Protection
Youth Programs |
Type
of Jurisdiction |
| State |
Targeted
Population |
| Teens and Parents |
Jurisdiction
Size |
| 5.9 million |
Funding |
| Section
402: $50,000 |
Contact |
Jonna Van Dyk
Public Information Officer
WA Traffic Safety Commission
P.O. Box 40944
Olympia, WA 98504-0944
(360) 586-0297
jvandyk@wtsc.wa.gov
mpetersen@wtsc.wa.gov
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Digest
Listing
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WASHINGTON
Graduated Driver's
License Partnership
PDF
Version
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Teenagers make up just seven percent of Washington's
driving population, but are responsible for 14 percent of the fatal collisions.
For teens, the combination of inexperience and immaturity provides the
foundation for a high death rate.
In July 2001, a Graduated Driver's License law went
into effect that requires that parents spend an additional 50 hours of
behind-the-wheel driving time with teenagers before they can get a license.
These new license provisions also limit the number of other teens that can
drive with a newly licensed teen driver, and limits late-night driving as well.
In other states where similar laws are on the books, teen traffic collisions
decreased more than 30 percent. However, before Washington's new law can
achieve its potential, it needs to be aggressively publicized and enforced.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission's
(WTSC) Graduated Driver's License Partnership project is to reduce the number
of injuries and fatalities among drivers 18 years old and younger.
The program objectives are to:
-
Equip law enforcement with the tools to enforce the
state's Graduated Driver's License law; -
Educate parents about why they should support the law by talking with their teenaged drivers;
and -
Aggressively publicize the new law.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Graduated Driver's License Partnership
project implemented the following strategies and related activities:
-
Formed an inter-governmental
committee to develop recommendations for ways the law could be improved,
communicated, and better enforced. -
Held market research meetings
with 11 parents and 13 law enforcement officers to ascertain their
views on the new Graduated Licensing rules and how the law could be better
enforced. -
Developed a paid media
partnership with both Belo Marketing, a statewide media outlet, and with State
Farm Insurance. -
Developed and produced Public Service Announcements
with production paid for by Belo Marketing. -
Developed materials that
outlined the Graduated Licensing rules for teens and parents, including
information for teens with permits. Made this information available on
websites.
-
Created an educational
brochure and distributed it through commercial driving schools, high schools
and junior high schools, State Farm offices, Department of Licensing and State
Patrol offices, as well as Community Traffic Safety Task Force Programs and the
local Educational Service District Offices.
-
Created
a parent's booklet
that includes information for parents who are teaching teens how to drive,
including common driving rules that parents have forgotten.
-
Developed an educational
seminar for parents and a roll call video and pocket card for law enforcement
officers. -
Initiated efforts to
publicize special law enforcement projects aimed at teen driving violations. -
Enlisted the aid of 300 State
Farm Insurance offices statewide as points of distribution for the brochures
and posters.
RESULTS
The Graduated Driver's License Partnership
project achieved the following results:
-
Increased the visibility of the Graduated Driver's
License project and related issues. State Farm's involvement resulted in radio
and television public service announcements about the project, reaching 80% of the state's adult population several times per
day. -
Conducted market research on the awareness levels of
teens and parents and on the support for the program. The market research
showed that parents and teens were more aware of the Graduated Driver's License
provisions and the intent of the law. -
Created a successful public-private partnership with
the State, the media, and an insurance company that permitted all three
organizations to meet their respective goals and will likely continue into
2004.
-
Decreased collisions involving 16 year-olds by 67
percent. More teens are now waiting until they are 17 years old to get their
license.
-
Decreased collisions involving 17 year-olds by 53
percent.
Fall
2003 complete Digest (PDF)
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