Thirty teen drivers (17 male and 13

Thirty teen drivers (17 male and 13 female) 16 to18 years old participated in the field evaluation,
drawn from sites in Minnesota and Maryland. In Minnesota a recruitment agency was used and
recruited participants using flyers, Craigslist.com, and word of mouth (Appendix A). In Maryland,
recruitment was achieved via Facebook.com, Craigslist.com, and Westat’s Web site. As part of the
recruitment requirements teens were sought with a minimum of 6 months of driving experience.
To identify potential differences based on geographic location, teens were recruited from both the
suburban/rural areas of Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area (e.g., Washington, Hennepin, and
Ramsey counties) and also from suburban/urban areas of Maryland (e.g., Montgomery County). It is
important to note that the graduated driver licensing (GDL) requirements are different between the
two states. For example, in Minnesota the nighttime driving restrictions are eliminated after 6
months of provisional licensure. Furthermore, passenger restrictions are also removed after 6
months of “clean” driving that allows teen drivers up to three passengers in the vehicle under 20
years old (IIHS, 2011). The Maryland GDL requirements mandate that teens are to be 16.5 years old
before obtaining a provisional license. Additional limitations for Maryland teens include passenger
restrictions such that no passengers younger than 18 are allowed for the first five months of
provisional licensure. Furthermore, the nighttime restrictions are in place for a longer period of time
as Maryland teens are restricted from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. until at least 18 years old
(IIHS, 2011). The restrictions for both states can be imposed for longer durations and are
dependent on teen compliance.. These differences may contribute to potential differences identified
in comparisons between the two locations and their contribution is noted where necessary.
The mean age of teen drivers was similar between males and females and between testing locations
(see Table 4-1). Males reported lower estimated weekly mileage compared to females and Minnesota
teens reported higher estimated weekly mileage compared to their counterparts (see Table 4-1).
Overall, 22 teens indicated they drove every day while five indicated they drove five or six days per
week and three indicated they drove three to five days per week. Twenty-five of the teens drove
passenger cars, 3 drove SUVs, and the remaining 2 teens drove pickup trucks.