California Teen Auto Deaths Decrease Following GDL Passage

According to a recent California auto club report, teen passenger deaths and injuries when 16-year-olds are behind the wheel dropped 21 percent statewide from 1998 to 1999. These results come two years after passage of California’s graduated driver’s license law (GDL).

GDL, of which the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) was a strong supporter, helps new drivers make the transition by limiting their exposure to more risky driving situations, such as driving at night or with other young passengers. The

GDL law took effect in July 1998 after being passed in 1997.

Thus far, 42 states have adopted a version of GDL, though only 31 states use the extensive three-stage system present in California. Florida, which adopted GDL in 1997, saw a drop of 21 percent in the rate teens are involved in accidents.