Tennessee’s Graduated
Driver Licensing Laws
Nneka Norman-Gordon
Legislative Research Analyst II
TN Comptroller’s Offices of Research and Education
Accountability
Origin of Report
 OREA reports generated three ways :
 Legislative Request
 Statutory Requirement
 Internally Generated
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What are graduated driver licensing
laws?
 “Phase in young beginners to full driving
privileges” as they mature and become
more seasoned drivers
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Background
Nation wide
 16-year old crash rates
are:
 about three times greater
than 17-year old drivers,
 five times greater than 18year old drivers, and
 approximately twice the
rate of 85-year-old
drivers.
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Tennessee
 Ranked 6th in fatal
crashes involving
teenagers
 Nashville-Murfreesboro
region ranked 4th
 Memphis ranked 16th
Tennessee Crash Statistics
Teen Fatal Traffic Crashes
Year
Fatal Crashes
1998
212
1999
221
2000
189
2001
Rate of Traffic Crashes
Involving Drivers 15-24
Year
Crashes Per
1,000 drivers
(age 15-24)
191
2005
136.65
2002
197
2006
136.38
2003
162
2007
129.55
2004
191
2008
115.64
2005
167
2009
111.57
2006
171
2007
178
2008
5
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Stages of Graduated
Driver Licensing Laws
 1. Supervised learner’s period (e.g. a
learner’s permit)
 2. Intermediate license
 3. Intermediate unrestricted
 Available upon completion of the first two
stages.
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What does research say about
Graduated Driver Licensing laws?
 Reductions in fatal crashes among teen drivers
 Reductions in insurance claim rates
 Reductions in injury crashes
 Most comprehensive GDL systems (1) delay
the learner’s permit stage and (2) include strong
nighttime and passenger restrictions.
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Tennessee’s GDL Law
 Public Chapter 700 (2000) created GDL system
for drivers under 18
 Imposed restrictions intended to allow teen
drivers to develop their driving skills
 Lengthened time required to hold a learner’s
permit;
 Prohibited unsupervised minor driving;
 Restricted when minors can drive; and
 Restricted with whom minors can drive
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Three phases of licensing
for teen drivers:
 1. Learner’s Permit
 Minimum age = 15
 Nighttime driving restriction
 2. Intermediate Restricted License
 Nighttime driving restriction
 Requires hours of supervised driving, some of
which must be at night.
 3. Intermediate Unrestricted License
 No restrictions but must meet certain eligibility
criteria.
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Attendance and academic progress
 State law prohibits issuing licenses to persons
under 18 without a high school diploma or
certificate of graduation, or proof that the
person is:
 Enrolled/making satisfactory progress in a
GED course or has a GED;
 Enrolled/making satisfactory progress in a
secondary school;
 Excused from these requirements.
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Attendance and academic
progress cont.
 License suspended if student under 18 drops
out of school.
 First withdrawal – student ineligible until back in
school and making satisfactory progress or
turned 18
 Two or more withdrawals – Driving privileges
suspended until 18th birthday
 GED enrollees may have license suspended for
excessive unexcused absences
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Federal Legislation:
Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform
Protection (STAND UP) Act of 2009
 Would provide driver safety grants to states
with GDL laws meeting certain minimum
requirements.
 Learner’s Permit
 Intermediate Stage
 This legislation would allow for withholding of
federal funds for noncompliance.
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Status Check on TN’s GDL Laws
 The IIHS ranked states on the
comprehensiveness of their graduated driver
licensing systems in 2009 based on:
 Length of the learner’s permit period, and
 Duration and stringency of intermediate
license
 Most states received the highest rating.
 The IIHS recommended increasing minimum
age for a learner’s permit from 15 to 16.
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Contact
 Comptroller of the Treasury
 Offices of Research and Education
Accountability
 Nneka Norman-Gordon
 615-401-7877
 [email protected]
 View report at:
http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/OREA/
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