Research & Resources

In this study, researchers analyzed data from the NEXT Generation Health Study, starting with 10th grade (2009–2010), to determine any associations between a delay in licensure, driving while impaired (DWI), and riding with an impaired driver (RWI) among emerging adults. Of 2,525 participants eligible for licensure across 7 waves, 887 reported a delay in licensure by 1–2 years, with 1,078 reporting a delay greater than 2 years. In the overall sample, delayed licensure did not appear to be associated with DWI or RWI. The study’s findings suggest that delayed licensure may be associated with teen risk of DWI and RWI among African Americans and among those with lower educational attainment. Furthermore, as two-thirds of youth delayed licensure, the authors suggested that more research is needed to determine whether this is more of a positive (i.e., protective) factor by reducing teens’ exposure to crash risk, or a negative (i.e., risk) factor due to their missing important driver safety stages of graduated driver licensing.
This paper, “Association between a delay in driving licensure and driving while impaired and riding with an impaired driver among emerging adults,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and published in the journal Alcoholism, clinical & experimental research.