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Impact of the graduated driver licensing program in Nova
Scotia
Report from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation
Method: Data Sources
Collision data for the years 1986 through 1997 were obtained from the computer
files of Nova Scotia’s Department of Transportation and Public Works. This
computer database contains basic police-reported information on the crash,
vehicle, driver and other occupants. For purposes of the analyses, information
was extracted on drivers of highway motor vehicles involved in collisions
on public roadways. Information was available on the age of the crash-involved
driver but not on the type of license held. It was for this reason that
the analyses focused on 16- and 17-year old drivers – the group most likely
to be covered by the graduated licensing program.
For comparison purposes, data on collisions in Saskatchewan were obtained
from Saskatchewan Government Insurance. The data on collisions in Maine
were obtained from the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) maintained
by the Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) at the University of North
Carolina. Unfortunately, comparable data on collisions in New Brunswick
were not available from sources in that jurisdiction. However, data on casualty
(i.e., fatal and injury) crashes in New Brunswick were available from the
Traffic Accident Information Database (TRAID) maintained by Transport Canada.
Driver record data for the pre-post comparisons of collisions among all
novice drivers not just 16 and 17 year olds were obtained from Nova Scotia
Business and Consumer Services. Complete driver record abstracts were obtained
on persons obtaining an initial learner’s license in 1993 and 1995, periods
before and after implementation of the program. Comparable driver record
data were not available from the control sites.
Population data came from Statistics Canada for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
and Saskatchewan and the U.S. Bureau of the Census for Maine. |
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