Implementation is not enough: Graduated Drivers Licensing benefits from a comprehensive enforcement, education and awareness campaigns

Background Graduated Drivers License (GDLs) are required in most states. GDLs are intermediate licenses requiring a supervisory period prior to full licensure. Surveys suggests poor acceptance of GDL restrictions high variability in GDL compliance. New Jersey initiated GDLs in 2002 and introduced a comprehensive public health campaign in 2010. This study analyzed the effect of GDL and the campaign on teen driver related fatalities and hypothesized that implementation alone was insufficient to decrease deaths. Methods Data was analyzed from 1998-2016 from New Jersey’s Fatal Accident Investigation Unit. In 2005, collaboration with State Police added total crash fatalities and teen passenger deaths to the dataset. Patterns in data before and after GDL implementation in 2002 and a comprehensive campaign in 2010 were evaluated to determine effects in New Jersey. Paired T-tests, ANOVA and regression analyses were performed, with p0.05) or fatal accidents (117 vs.115, p>0.05) in the 4 years before and after implementation. However, after the comprehensive campaign, decreases are seen in dead teenaged drivers (42 vs. 22, p

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