Predicting young drivers’ time-to-licensure from sociodemographic characteristics and quality of adult-supervised practice

Abstract

Many jurisdictions now require adult-supervised practice for learner drivers. For many younger drivers this entails supervision from parents. There is not consensus on how to best optimize this supervision or which factors influence how quickly young drivers progress through the learner period to obtain an independent license. Additionally, young male drivers are over-represented in fatal and serious crashes and it is unknown if this risk has a basis in their learner driver experiences. Using data from the control arm of the Drivingly Trial (554 parent-teen dyads) we examined how sociodemographic factors and parent-teen driving practice behaviours contributed to how quickly teens were licensed and determined if there were sex differences in how practice was experienced by teens. Greater practice variety was associated with faster licensure. Parent engagement with practice supervision increased over the learner period and teens became more supportive of their parents’ supervision as their anticipated license date neared. Male and female teens did not differ with respect to their experience of supervised practice, pre-permit driving or time-to-licensure. White teens and teens from non-urban areas were licensed faster than other teens in our sample, all of whom began the study with a learner’s permit and intention to get licensed. Licensing confers risks and opportunities for young people. Ensuring young learner drivers practice in a range of different driving environments is important. More research is needed to determine how to reduce structural and social barriers to licensure without conferring an increased crash risk.