[Association of provisional driver licensing intervention by police with changes in incidence and severity of road traffic injuries in Iran]

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted for external evaluation of one intervention that has been carried out by traffic police. In this study the efficacy of provisional driver licensing on reducing traffic injuries and the intensity of injuries [fatal or non-fatal] was investigated. Data on traffic accidents and injuries from one year before till two years after the implementation of provisional driver licensing were obtained from traffic police data base. After data cleaning and stratification traffic injuries and mortalities, the implementation of graduate driver licensing compared in those in early years of their driving experience. Drivers under 23 years of age consisted 22.8% of total road traffic injuries [RTIs] in the year prior to the implementation of graduate driver licensing. This proportion reduced to 15.5% and 16.1% in the first and second year after implementation, respectively, among holders of provisional B1 type driver license [P<0.001]. Our findings suggested that this intervention was efficient in reduction of intensity of traffic injuries and provisional driver licensing was also efficient in reducing the crude number of traffic injuries. More interventions such as demerit points, license suspensions and vehicle confiscation might be implemented to prevent RTIs in long term