Implementing primary enforcement seat belt laws that cover occupants in all seating positions
Mandating the use of car seats and booster seats for motor vehicle passengers through at least age 8 years
Implementing comprehensive graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems, which help new drivers gain experience under low-risk conditions by granting driving privileges in stages. Research shows that more comprehensive GDL systems prevent more crashes and deaths than less comprehensive GDL systems (4–11). Components of comprehensive GDL systems include
A minimum age of 16 years for learner’s permits
A mandatory holding period of at least 12 months for learner’s permits
Nighttime driving restrictions between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am (or longer) for intermediate or provisional license holders
A limit of zero or one young passengers who can ride with intermediate or provisional license holders without adult supervision
A minimum age of 18 years for unrestricted licensure
Requiring the use of ignition interlock devices for everyone convicted of alcohol-impaired driving
Other strategies recommended by scientific evidence for preventing motor vehicle injuries include enhanced seat belt enforcement campaigns (1,4), 0.08% blood alcohol concentration laws (16), minimum legal drinking age laws (4,16), publicized sobriety checkpoint programs (4,16,17), alcohol-impaired driving mass media campaigns (4,18), increased alcohol taxes (19), car and booster seat distribution plus education campaigns (2), and community-wide car seat and booster seat information and enhanced enforcement campaigns (2).
A primary enforcement seat belt law allows police to stop a vehicle solely because a driver or passenger is not wearing a seat belt. A secondary enforcement seat belt law requires police to have another reason for stopping a vehicle before citing a driver or passenger for not buckling up. The most comprehensive policies are primary seat belt laws that cover all occupants, regardless of where they are sitting.
Rating State seat belt law
Green Primary enforcement law covering all seating positions
Yellow Primary enforcement law covering only the front seats
Red Secondary enforcement law OR no law
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective.
A law that requires child passengers to travel in appropriate child passenger restraints, such as car seats or booster seats, until adult seat belts fit them properly.
Rating Age requirement for use of child passenger restraints
Green Children through age 8 years
Yellow Children through age 6 or 7 years
Red Children aged 5 years or younger
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective.
Age at which a young driver can first acquire a learner’s permit, which requires a novice driver to practice driving under the supervision of an adult.
Rating Minimum age for state learner’s permit
Green ≥16 years
Yellow 14 years, 7 months through 15 years, 11 months
Red ≤14 years, 6 months
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective.
The length of time a driver must maintain a learner’s permit before being allowed to apply for an intermediate or provisional license.
Rating State learner’s permit mandatory holding period
Green ≥12 months
Yellow 6–11 months
Red <6 months
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective. If a state had varying holding periods dependent on the age the young driver received his/her learner’s permit, its rating was based on the shortest holding period allowable for novice drivers. Exceptions to learner’s permit holding periods (e.g., a shorter holding period for completion of a driver’s education course) were not considered, and states were rated based on the general law.
A restriction against intermediate or provisional license holders driving without adult supervision during certain nighttime hours.
Rating State nighttime driving restriction
Green Began on or before 10:00 pm and ended on or after 5:00 am
Yellow Began between 10:01 pm and 11:59 pm
Red Began on or after midnight OR no restriction
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective. If a state had varying nighttime driving restrictions dependent on the month of the year or day of the week, its rating was based on the least restrictive requirement. Provisions loosening restrictions based on the length of time the young driver had been licensed were not considered; states were rated based on the initial restriction only.
A restriction against intermediate or provisional license holders transporting more than a certain number of young passengers without adult supervision.
Rating State young passenger restriction
Green Limit of zero or one young passengers without adult supervision
Yellow Limit of two or more young passengers without adult supervision
Red No limit on young passengers
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective. If a state had varying young passenger restrictions dependent on the time of day, its rating was based on the least restrictive requirement. Provisions loosening restrictions based on the length of time the young driver had been licensed were not considered; states were rated based on the initial restriction only.
The minimum age at which drivers who have met all requirements of intermediate or provisional license may first drive unsupervised without nighttime or young passenger restrictions.
Rating State unrestricted licensure age
Green Nighttime and young passenger restrictions existed and were lifted for drivers aged ≥18 years
Yellow Nighttime and young passenger restrictions existed, and one or both were lifted for drivers between ages 16 years, 7 months and 17 years, 11 months
Red Nighttime and/or young passenger restrictions were lifted for drivers aged ≤16 years, 6 months; OR only one or no restriction existed
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective.
A law that mandates the use of ignition interlocks for drivers convicted of alcohol-impaired driving. An ignition interlock is a device that analyzes a driver’s breath and prevents the vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected.
Rating State ignition interlock law
Green Ignition interlocks required for all offenders convicted of alcohol-impaired driving (i.e., driving with a blood alcohol concentration [BAC] ≥0.08 g/dL), which includes both first-time and repeat offenders
Yellow Ignition interlocks required for repeat offenders convicted of alcohol-impaired driving or first-time offenders with a particularly high BAC (e.g., BAC ≥0.15 g/dL)
Red Ignition interlocks not required for any offenders convicted of alcohol-impaired driving
How These Ratings Were Determined state reports —July 1, 2015—is the date CDC assessed the policy. The date does not reflect when the law was enacted or became effective.
References
Shults RA, Nichols JL, Dinh-Zarr TB, et al. Effectiveness of primary enforcement safety belt laws and enhanced enforcement of safety belt laws: a summary of the Guide to Community Preventive Services systematic reviews . Journal of Safety Research 2004;35(2):189–96.
Zaza S, Sleet DA, Thompson R, et al. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to increase use of child safety seats . American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2001;21(4S):31–47.
Eichelberger AH, Chouinard AO, Jermakian JS. Effects of booster seat laws on injury risk among children in crashes . Traffic Injury Prevention 2012;13(6):631–9.
Goodwin A, Kirley B, Sandt L, et al. Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasures Guide for State Highway Safety Offices . 7th edition. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2013.
Williams AF, McCartt AT, Mayhew DR, et al. Licensing age issues: deliberations from a workshop devoted to this topic . Traffic Injury Prevention 2013;14(3):237–43.
Williams AF, Chaudhary NK, Tefft BC, et al. Evaluation of New Jersey's graduated driver licensing program . Traffic Injury Prevention 2010;11(1):1–7.
Williams AF. Licensing age and teenage driver crashes: a review of the evidence . Traffic Injury Prevention 2009;10(1):9–15.
Masten SV, Foss RD, Marshall SW. Graduated driver licensing program component calibrations and their association with fatal crash involvement . Accident Analysis & Prevention 2013;57:105–13.
Baker SP, Chen LH, Li G. National evaluation of graduated driver licensing programs . Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation; 2006.
Williams AF, Tefft BC, Grabowski JG. Graduated driver licensing research, 2010–present . Journal of Safety Research 2012;43(3):195–203.
Mayhew D, Williams A, Pashley C. A new GDL framework: evidence base to integrate novice driver strategies . Ottawa, Canada: Traffic Injury Research Foundation; 2014.
Elder RW, Voas R, Beirness D, et al. Effectiveness of ignition interlocks for preventing alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related crashes: a Community Guide systematic review . American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2011;40(3):362–76.
Shults RA, Elder RW, Sleet DA, et al. Primary enforcement seat belt laws are effective even in the face of rising belt use rates . Accident Analysis & Prevention 2004;36(3):491–3.
Beck LF, West BA. Vital signs: nonfatal, motor vehicle-occupant injuries (2009) and seat belt use (2008) among adults—United States . MMWR 2011;59(51):1681–6.
Shults RA, Beck LF. Self-reported seatbelt use, United States, 2002–2010: does prevalence vary by state and type of seatbelt law? . Journal of Safety Research 2012;43(5–6):417–20.
Shults RA, Elder RW, Sleet DA, et al. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to reduce alcohol-impaired driving . American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2001;21(4S):66–88.
Bergen G, Pitan A, Qu S, et al. Publicized sobriety checkpoint programs: a Community Guide systematic review . American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2014;46(5):529–39.
Elder RW, Shults RA, Sleet DA, et al. Effectiveness of mass media campaigns for reducing drinking and driving and alcohol-involved crashes: a systematic review . American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2004;27(1):57–65.
Elder RW, Lawrence B, Ferguson A, et al. The effectiveness of tax policy interventions for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms . American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2010;38(2):217–29.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute. State Laws: Safety Belts―Safety Belts and Child Safety Seats . Arlington, VA: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute; 2015.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute. State Laws: Teenagers―Graduated Driver Licensing Introduction . Arlington, VA: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute; 2015.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute. State Laws: Alcohol-Impaired Driving―DUI/DWI . Arlington, VA: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute; 2015.
**State count includes District of Columbia.
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