71-18,186 CLEARWATER, Harvey Elting, 1929A STUDY OF CERTAIN FACTORS IN THE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OF 16 YEAR OLD DRIVERS IN MICHIGAN, 1967-1969. Michigan State University, Ed.D., 1970 Education, general U niversity Microfilms. A XEROXC o m p an y , A nn Arbor. M ichigan A STUDY OF CERTAIN FACTORS IN THE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OF 16 YEAR OLD DRIVERS IN MICHIGAN, 1967-1969 By Harvey Elting Clearwater A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum 1970 ABSTRACT A STUDY OF CERTAIN FACTORS IN THE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OF 16 YEAR OLD DRIVERS IN MICHIGAN, 1967-1969 By Harvey Elting Clearwater Statement of the Problem A dramatic increase has occurred in the number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents from 1967 through 1969 which has caused a growing concern among those involved in traffic safety. Fatal traffic accident involvement of the 16 year old driver has increased about 115 per cent during this period of time, while the number of students completing high school driver education has increased only about ten per cent. This study was designed to determine certain factors in the fatal traffic accidents of 16 year old drivers in Michigan, 1967-1969. The purpose of the study was to determine and present a more definitive description of the problems that the 16 year old driver might be having early in his driving career as a result of studying the fatal traffic accidents in which Harvey Elting Clearwater they were involved. The study was considered descriptive and exploratory in nature. Description of the Methods, Techniques and Data iJsed The sample selected for this study was the total number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents in Michigan, 1967-1969. The data was collected from the fatal traffic accident record files of the Michigan Department of State Police and the driver record files of the Michigan Department of State. The variables used in the study included the factors of time, environment, driver, vehicle, and investigation. The data was tabulated in frequency distributions for each of the variable factors. All pertinent information relative to the fatal traffic accidents was taken from all of the fatal traffic accident reports and supplemental data reports of the accidents in which the 16 year old drivers were involved. Driver records were obtained for 91.2 per cent of the 16 year old Michigan licensed drivers involved in the fatal traffic accidents included in the study. The Major Findings Analysis of the data for each of the variable factors revealed: Harvey Elting Clearwater Time 1. November had the largest percentage, 13.59, of the drivers involved. 2. Saturdays had 21.2 per cent of the drivers involved. 3. The time period which had the largest percentage, 34,78, of the drivers involved was from 6:01 p.m. - 10:00 p. 4. There were more accidents during the day than at 1. Of the Michigan licensed drivers involved, 64.43 night. Driver per cent had six months or less driving experience from the date of original application for a license. 2. Of the 184 drivers studied, 15.76 per cent were unlicensed. 3. The driver records indicated that 74.19 per cent of the drivers had no record prior to involvement. Environment 1. Farm and one family home localities were the most prevelent accident sites accounting for 70.72 per cent of the drivers involved. 2. About seventeen per cent of the accidents occurred on unpaved roads. 3. Slightly more than sixty-seven per cent of the accidents did not occur at an intersection. Vehicle 1. Twenty-one 16 year old drivers were operating a motorcycle at the time of involvement. 2. The vehicles operated by the 16 year old driver were reported as having no mechanical defect in 53.91 per cent of the cases. Investigation 1. Sheriffs' Departments investigated 42.54 per- cent of the accidents. 2. Slightly more than forty-seven per cent of the drivers were operating at an estimated speed of 4 5 MPH or less. 3. Of the 184 drivers, 13.59 per cent were arrested. Type of Accident 1. The two vehicle accidents accounted for 40.88 per cent of the total number of fatal accidents. 2. Slightly more than one-fourth of the fatal traffic accidents were single vehicle accidents. 3. The pedestrian/bicycle accidents accounted for 18.23 per cent of the total. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To Dr. Robert O. Nolan, my major advisor and chairman of my guidance committee for his advice, encouragement, patience, and understanding. To the other members of my guidance committee. Dr. Dale V. Alam, Dr. Joseph G. Dzenowagis, and Dr. Robert E. Gustafson for their encouragement and helpful suggestions. To Captain John Amthor and Sergeant Lyle Hathaway, of the Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police, for their aid in the data collection. To Sergeant Donald Calcatera, of the Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police for his interest and aid in the successful completion of this project. To Mr. George Stevens, Harold Kimmel, and Lars Syverson, of the Michigan Department of State, for their aid in the collection of the data. To the members of the Highway Traffic Safety Center staff for their time, advice and encouragement toward the successful completion of this project. To the members of my family, Helen, Scott, and Denise, for their patience, encouragement, support and understanding. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page AC KNOWLEDGME N T S ii LIST OF T A B L E S ............................................ V LIST OF FIGURES................................................vii Chapter I. II. THE PRO B L E M ......................................... 1 Purpose of the S t u d y ........................... Definition of Terms ........................... Delimitations .................................. Assumptions ..................................... Organization of the Study .................... 5 5 7 9 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ..................... 11 Discussion of Previous Research III. ............. 21 DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF THE S T UDY.............. 23 Introduction..................................... Sample.......................... .... The Nature of the V a r iables.................... Selection of the Time Period for the Study. . Procedures for Collecting D a t a ................. Treatment of the D a t a ........................... S u m m a r y ........................................ IV. 8 ANALYSIS OF THE D A T A ............................... 23 24 25 27 28 30 33 35 Introduction..................................... 35 Analysis of the D a t a ........................... 38 S u m m a r y ............................................ 110 iii Chapter V. Page SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS..................................... 118 S u m m a r y ........................................... 118 Conclusions and Discussion .................... 123 Recommendations..................................... 126 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................. 128 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.1 Fatal Accident Increase....................... 1 4.1 Distribution of Drivers Involved by Year, Day, and M o n t h .............................. 44 Distribution of Drivers Involved by Year, Day, and T i m e .............................. 46 4.3 Type of A c c i d e n t .............................. 48 4.4 Accidents by S e x ............................. 50 4.5 Distribution of Drivers by License . . . . 51 4.6 Number of 16 Year Old Drivers— Sole O c c u p a n t .................................... 53 Number of 16 Year Old Drivers— Multiple Occupancy.................................... 55 Position of Killed and Injured in 16 Year Old Operated Vehicle ....................... 59 4.9 Type of Vehicle I n v o l v e d ................... 6 4.10 Model Year of Vehicle I n v o l v e d ............. 64 4.11 New V e h i c l e s ................................. 66 4.12 Vehicle Condition............................. 67 4.13 Apparent Physical Condition 4.14 Drinking Condition .......................... 69 4.15 Weather Conditions at the Time of the A c c i d e n t .................................... 70 4.2 4.7 4.8 v ............. . 3 68 Light Condition at the Time of the Accident .................................. 71 Kind of Locality in Which Accidents Occurred .................................. 72 The R oadway....................... ... 74 Driver Vision Obstruction . 76 ............. Road Type--Number of Driving Lanes Intersections 77 . 78 .............................. Traffic Control ........................... D r i v e r ’s Direction of Travel 79 81 ............. ................. 82 Driver Action .............................. 84 Driver Violation Indicated................. 85 Investigation of Accident 88 Driver's Estimated Speed . . . . . Unpaved Roadway Accidents 1967-1969. . . • 91 Motorcycle Accidents in Which 16 Year Old Drivers Were Involved, 1967-1969 . . 93 Pedestrian/Bicycle Accidents 96 ............. Driving Experience— Number of Months from Date of Original Application for License to Date of Accident— Michigan Drivers Only 99 Per Cent of Drivers Involved for Each Year— Michigan Licensed Drivers 102 Driving Record Prior to Accident Involve­ ment Licensed Michigan Drivers. 103 Unlicensed Driver Fatal Traffic Accidents (Including those Operating on Driver Education Certificates and Temporary Instruction Permits) .................... 107 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Page Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents by County for 1967 39 Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents by County for 1968 40 Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents by County for 1969 41 Total Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents By County for 1967-1969 ....................... 42 vii CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM The years 1968 and 1969 show a drastic increase in the number of 16 year old Michigan drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. Since 1967, the number of 16 year olds involved in fatal traffic accidents has risen from 39 to 85 for this age group.^ Table 1.1 illustrates the increase by compiling the information reported by the Michigan Department of State Police 2 for the years 1967-69. TABLE 1.1. --Fatal Accident Increase. Year Fatal Accident Drivers 1967 39 1.47 No Record 19 6 8 60 2.00 .91 1969 85 2.63 .91 Per Cent of Fatal Accident Involvement Per Cent of Driving Population Michigan Department of State Police, Michigan Traffic Accident Facts; 1968 (Michigan: Department of State P o l i c e ) , pT 16; and Michigan Department of State Police, Michigan Traffic Accident Digest: 1969 (Michigan: Department of State Poli c e ) , p. 67 2 Ibid. , p. 16; and Ibid., p. 6 . 1 It should be noted that almost 100 per cent of the licensed drivers in this age group are in their first year of driving after completing High School Driver Education.^ The rapid and dramatic increase in the fatal traffic accident picture of this age group has caused a growing concern among those involved in traffic safety. The High School Driver Education program offerings have steadily supplied an increasing number of young people eligible for early licensing. 4 It has not, as yet, been determined if the increased total traffic accident involvement of this group is occurring at the expected rates. National, state and local statistics support the opinion of authorities in the field of traffic safety who label the young driver a dangerous driver. 5 Yet, the statistics used in studies and reports tend to group young drivers together rather than by a single age or by the length of their driving experience after licensing. This fact has led to a general 3 Michigan Department of State, Michigan Vehicle Code: 1968 (Michigan: Department of State), pp. 57-69, 184-186. 4 Michigan Department of Education, Reimbursement Summaries 1955-1969 (Michigan: Department of Education), reprint, undated. 5Michigan Department of State Police, pp. 7, 16. 0 £. c i t . , 1968, 3 condemnation of young drivers no matter what their age, sex, or experience. There is much available data showing that young drivers g under 2 5 years of age are an exceptionally high risk group. Pelz and Schuman 7 stated that some groups of drivers are distinctly more dangerous than others. 0 Gesteland indicated that the teen-age boy did most of his driving at night. The young drivers of today comprise an important seg­ ment of the driving population and it was the purpose of this study to investigate a part of the population of young drivers in order to determine certain factors of their involvement in fatal traffic accidents. A study of 16 year old Michigan drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents, 1967-69, was selected. was the total population of those involved. The sampling The subjects were all Michigan residents at the time of accident. This study was selected to determine and present a more definitive description of the problems the 16 year old might ^ Ibid., p. 7. 7 Donald C. Pelz and Stanley H. Schuman, "Dangerous Young D r i v e r s ," The Society for Automotive Engineers, L X X V I , (October, 1968), pp. 6 i- 6 8 . 0 Norman Gesteland, "Let's Teach the Teen-ager How to Drive When They Drive the Most Often-At Night," Traffic Digest, XV (November, 1967), pp. 3-7. be having early in his driving career as a result of study­ ing the fatal traffic accidents in which they were involved. Emery 9 states that the m a 3 ority of driving done by 17 and 18 year olds was done for recreational purposes. It was assumed that the same was true for the 16 year old. Silvernale and W h a l e ^ state that young drivers do not get enough practice or have enough experience in all types of environments under instructional or parental supervision and that their problems stem from the lack of experience, particularly during the first year of driving. Although Pelz and S c h u m a n ^ have studied the young driver, they did not focus on a single age. They have, as have most researchers, studied teen-age drivers and young drivers grouped together. This study is concerned only with the 16 year old Michigan Drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents during the years 1967 through 1969. 9 Sister M a n e Therese Emery. O.P., "A Study of Certain Factors Related to the Patterns of Driving, Accident and Violation Rates of 436, 17 and 18 Year-old Licensed Drivers From Two Lansing Catholic Schools." (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Michigan State University, 1969), p. 3. 10Leslie R. Silvernale and Malcolm D. Whale, "Does Driver Education Go Far Enough?" Traffic Safety, Vol. 69, No. 9 (September, 1969) , pp. 10-12~ 40, 42. ^ P e l z and Schuman, 0 £. c i t ., pp. 61-68. As a result of studying the fatal traffic accidents of 16 year old Michigan drivers, it is hoped that the data will provide information for the enrichment of the driver educa­ tion curriculum and improvement of the driver licensing procedure. Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study was to determine, by inves­ tigating fatal traffic accident reports, common factors in the fatal traffic accidents of 16 year old Michigan drivers. This study was considered descriptive and exploratory in nature. 1. Two specific problems were involved: To determine common characteristics of time, place, and environmental conditions bearing upon the total population in the study as a result of studying the fatal accident reports. 2. To determine common characteristics of the drivers involved as a result of studying the drivers' records. Definition of Terms For the purpose of this study, these terms are defined: 1. Fatal traffic accident. The collision of one or more motor vehicles with each other, a fixed object, train, bicycle or pedestrian resulting in the 6 death of one or more persons on a public road­ way . 2. Driver's record. That information on file with the Michigan Secretary of State Driver Records Section and recorded on computer tape providing pertinent information about licensed Michigan drivers. 3. Fatal traffic accident report. The report of a fatal traffic accident on file with the Michigan Department of State Police forwarded on the State of Michigan Official Traffic Accident Report (UD-10A, 1-65) to the Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police as required by law. 4. Supplemental data. The additional information accompanying the fatal traffic accident report such as complaint forms, investigation forms, post mortum forms, and death certificates. 5. Licensed driver. That individual successfully meeting the criterion established by the Michigan Department of State and carried out by the local testing station to determine fitness of the individual to operate a motor vehicle on the highways of Michigan. Each individual is assigned a special driver identification number. 6 . Driver Education Certificate. Certificate of successful driver education course completion pre­ sented by the State Department of Education through the school offering the course. 7. Temporary Instruction Permit. Permit issued to an applicant allowing the individual to operate a motor vehicle on the highways when accompanied by a licensed adult operator or chauffeur who is actually occupying a seat beside the driver. 8. Length of driving experience. The amount of time, in months, from the date of original application for a driving license to the date of involvement in a fatal traffic accident for a Michigan licensed driver. Delimitations This study did not attempt to consider the socio-economic and psychological factors of the 16 year old driver. The study did not take into consideration the driver education course of study completed by the individuals included in the sample. The major limitation of this study was that it dealt with only a small segment of the 16 year old driving population. The sample was selected from fatal traffic accident report records on file with the Michigan Department of State Police. The total sample consists of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents in Michigan during the years 1967 through 1969. The number of 16 year olds involved in fatal traffic accidents as published by the Michigan Department of State Police for 1967 was thirtynine; for 1968 sixty; and for 1969 eighty-five. The accident data collected was limited to the fatal traffic accident reports and supplemental data included in the Michigan Department of State Police files. The driver record data collected was limited to that data on the computer tapes of the Michigan Department of State. Assumptions 1. It was assumed that each Michigan licensed driver had completed a high school driver education course meeting the minimum requirements established by the State Department of Education. 2. It was assumed that the data collected, as recorded, from the traffic accident reports and supplemental data was reliable for the purposes of this study. The considered opinion of the investigating officer(s) was included in this assumption. 3. It was assumed that the data collected from the driver record files of the Michigan Department of State was up-to-date and accurate as a result of the information received in the driver records section. 4. It was assumed that important factors regarding the 16 year old driver involved in fatal traffic accidents in Michigan could be discovered by making use of the fatal traffic accident report files of the Michigan Department of State Police and the driver record files of the Michigan Department of State. Organization of the Study In Chapter II an extensive review of the literature related to fatal traffic accidents and traffic accidents of young drivers is found. It should be noted that the literature dealing with the 16 year old involved in fatal traffic accidents is limited. Therefore, several closely related studies were reviewed. Chapter III deals with the design of the study and the methods used in gathering the data. The fatal accident report file of the Michigan Department of State Police was searched to gather the appropriate data. The driver record information was gathered by submitting the licensed driver's identification number to the Michigan Secretary of State driver records section for a computer readout of each individual listed. In Chapter IV the data tabulated from the information gathered from the accident reports and driver records is presented and analyzed. A summary, conclusions and discussion, and recommenda­ tions are found in Chapter V. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE There has been much written about the teen-aged driver, the young driver, and the youthful driver. The tendency has been for researchers to group the young drivers in their teens together in the stated categories. Little research has been done concerning the 16 year old driver and in particular those 16 years olds involved in fatal traffic accidents. Recently, however, there has been an attempt to present a more accurate picture of the young driver in terms of exposure, attitudes, motivation, and socio-economic factors. The references selected for this review were concerned with the 16 year old driver and the first year driver to determine accident status and factors of driving which provide some insight to the problem. It was necessary to include references which were closely allied to the 16 year old driver. Since 1965-66 school year, the number of students completing driver education for which schools have been reimbursed has increased about 11 10 per cent through the 1968-69 school year (144,609 for 1965-66 to 158,985 for 1968-69).1 The Michigan Department of State Police published that the 16 year old driver made up .91 per cent of the driving population in 1968 and 1969. 2 This information was obtained from the Michigan Department of State, Michigan Driver Statistics, Report No. 1, dated July 21, 196 8 . count was determined from Report No. 3. A more accurate The 16 year old driver population is closer to being 1.2376 per cent of the 3 total of all Michigan drivers. If the figure,1.28 per cent, is inserted in the table developed by the Michigan Department of State Police, then the 16 year old fatal accident involvement would not be interpreted to be quite so bad. Rather than having about three times the percentage of fatal accidents they seem to be allotted, it is about two times as great. Michigan's driver education has been rated as one of the best in the country. The state's high school driver education program meets the national minimum standard of 30 clock hours of classroom instruction and six clock hours 1 "Reimbursement Summaries," o£. cit. 2 Michigan Traffic Accident Digest, o p . c i t ., p. 3 Milo W. Chalfant and Joseph A. Hayes, Michigan Driver Statistics, Report No. 3. (Lansing: Michigan Department of State, May 1, 19 70), p. 5. 6 . of behind-the-wheel instruction for each student. Driessen stated that perhaps we expect too much from a ”30 and 6 4 ," one semester course. 5 Schlesinger stated that the new driver does not have the experience and skill to size up the situation and take corrective action. He made the analogy between a person learning the job and a new driver saying that the accident rate is higher for a person learning the job and, therefore, it could be expected that the accident rate would be higher for the new driver. He stated that most teen-agers are having their first accident due largely to the newness and inexperience of driving. He stated that one-fifth of the accidents involved drinking; two fifths emotional condition; with the rest attributed to distrations, fatigue, speeding and a fatalistic attitude toward accidents. Much of his data was quoted from Bishop.^ 7 Gesteland indicated that the teen-age boy did most of his driving at night. He states that the death rate for young males was about two-thirds higher at night. He contends 4 Gerald Driessen, "Fallacy of the Untrained Driver," A n a l o g y , Autumn 1969, pp. 24-26. 5 Lawrence E. Schlesinger, Is There A Teen-Age Driver In Your House? The New American Library, I n c . , New Y o r k : 1967, pp. 17-27, 70-75, 80-87. ^Richard W. Bishop, "Case Studies of One Car Accidents Involving Young Drivers" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, New York University), 1961. 7 Gesteland, ojj>. c i t ., pp. 3-7. that the teen-ager is not trained or ready to drive and cope with situations present at night. g Klein reported that the proportion of violations, fatalities and reportable accidents in which teen-agers were involved was significantly higher than for any other age group. He contends that factors such as mileage, road and traffic conditions, roadside characteristics, number of occupants in the car, must be taken into consideration when studying the teen-age accident and violation data. Lauer, 9 as a result of an around the clock study, concluded that the driving habits of men and women were quite different. The study indicated that the teen-ager was more likely to drive during the hours when traffic conditions and weather were hazardous. Campbell^® revealed data from a study of the records of 32,387 drivers that young drivers have more of their accidents at night. He broke the day into twelve two hour periods and he used the segment. 6 PM to 5:59 A M period as the night Fifty-eight per cent of the young drivers were involved during this time period. g David Klein, "A Reappraisal of the Violation and Accident Data on Teen-Age Drivers,” Traffic Quarterly, XX, No. 4 (October, 1966), pp. 502-510. 9 A. R. Lauer, "A Sampling Study of Drivers on the High­ ways for the Twenty-Four Hour Period - Driver Characteristics and Accidents,” Highway Research Board Bulletin, LXXIIX (1953), pp. 14-31. ^ B . J. Campbell, "Driver Age and Sex Related to Accident Time and T y p e ," Traffic Safety Research Review, X , N o . 2 (June, 1966), pp” 36-40. Schuman, Pelz, et al,/^ in a study of young male drivers, reported "daredevil" practices when one or more friends were in the car of the 16-18 year old driver. data suggests that the under 21 Their limited year old driver uses the automobile as an emotional outlet. The pilot study presented a picture of a young driver as an inexperienced, impulsive, but cautious beginner. Pelz and Schuman 12 stated that the greatest thrill and enjoyment came at the ages of 16-17. The California Department of Motor Vehicles 13 concluded from a study that the younger driver had a disproportionately high conviction rate largely attributed to speed. A recent study conducted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles concluded that drivers completing a driver education course including behind-the-wheel instruction had fewer violations but drove less than drivers without training. There was no significant difference between groups (those who had driver education and those who did not) on accidents. ^ S t a n l e y H. Schuman, Donald C. Pelz, et al., "Young Male Drivers - Impulse Expression, Accidents, ancT Violations," Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 200 (June 1 7 f"lT(ff7)7 PP. 1025-1630.-------------------- 12 Donald C. Pelz and Stanley H. Schuman, "Young Drivers: Road Behavior and Motivations," (Third Traffic Medicine Congress, New York City, May 29-June 1, 1969), p. 7. (Mimeo­ graphed) . 13 California Department of Motor Vehicles, The California Driver Fact Book (California: Department of Motor Vehicles), Ja n u a r y , 1969, pp. 3-5, 24-25. Kritz and Nilsson, 14 in an investigation of accident frequency of new drivers with special regard to differences in age, concluded their research findings by indicating that other factors connected with age have contributed to the higher rate of accidents sustained by young male drivers. For women, there did not seem to be any difference between the younger and older drivers. Kritz and Nilsson 15 cited a British study which found no direct evidence to suggest that age ipso facto has little effect on accident rates. A G e r m a n ^ study found nothing to suggest that young drivers are more susceptible to accidents than older age groups. They 17 cited a California study of teen-age drivers which demonstrated a correlation for men between age and accident involvement, the tendency being for the young drivers to be more involved. The same study found that driving experience had greater importance for accident involvement than age. Kaestner 18 found that for the 16-19 year old group that following too closely and did not have the right of way as primary causes of accidents. Driving too fast for conditions 14 Lars-Bruno Kritz and Goran Nilsson, "Young Drivers and Road Accidents," Report, Official Swedish Council on Road Safety Research, November 1967. ^Ibid., p. 2. 1 6 Ibid., p. 2 . ^ 7 Ibid., p. 2 . 18 Noel F. Kaestner, "Study of Licensed Drivers in OregonPart II - Analysis of Traffic Involvement Records," Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, December 1964. ranked third; negligent driving fourth; and driving unsafe vehicle fifth. The accident type most frequently listed was other vehicle; ran-off road second; fixed object third; and pedestrian fourth. In a 1967 study, Kaestner 19 reported that failure to avoid stopped vehicle, failure to yield right of way, and driving too fast for conditions ranked first to third respec­ tively as primary causative factors in accidents of the 16-19 year old group. He reported that for the 16-19 year old group other vehicle, parked vehicle, ran-off road, and fixed object ranked first to fourth respectively as the accident type most often reported. Bacon and Jones 20 reported the age groups most prone to accidents are the young (75 and over) drivers. (16 to 18 years) and the old "The question of drinking, driving and accidents among teen-agers has received surprisingly little attention from the point of scientific research." 21 Bacon and Jones refer to the Grand Rapids study as one which provides very interesting information. Investigation of the 19 Noel F. Kaestner, "A Second Look at Licensed Drivers in Oregon," Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, November 1967. 20 Margaret Bacon and Mary Brush J o n e s , Teen-Age Drinking, (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1968), pp. 143-156. 2 ^Ibid., pp. 155-156. teen-agers' blood alcohol levels indicates they had far fewer drinking and driving accidents than the adults in the study. The authors concluded that 16 and 17 year old drivers have more than their share of accidents, but they do not seem to be drinking and driving accidents. drinking in New York State A study of teen-age 2? ' showed that teen aged drivers tended to have fewer accidents after they had been drinking than when sober. Pelz, Schuman, et 23 al^, have included alcohol in their studies and have found that alcohol has a low rate of involve­ ment especially in the first accident, an incidence rate of about 5 per cent. Using only those drivers who drank "last year," the data collected indicated that teen-agers were reluctant to drive after drinking. The data collected did not indicate that drinking was a major cause of teen-age accidents. Klein 24 presented the statement that it might be that teen-aged accidents are due largely to the learning effect and if first licensing occurred at age 30 rather than 16, then the 30-35 age span would show a "teen-age" curve. 2 2 Ibid., p. 155. 23 Schuman, e_t al. , o£. c i t ., pp. 1026-1030; Pelz and Schuman, o£. c i t . , pp. 1-8; Pelz and Schuman, 0 £. c i t ., pp. 8-9. 24 David Klein, "The Teen-Age Driver - A Research Paradigm," Traffic Quarterly, XXII, No. 1 (January, 1968), pp. 97-107. Pelz 25 referred to an unpublished Schuman study in which the data indicated that the single-car off-the-road fatal accidents are typical of young drivers under the age of 30. The AAMVA Bulletin 2 fi referred to Kaestner's 1962 study in Oregon in which fatal accidents were studied and the conclusion reached that fatal accidents do not just happen to anyone. Young males were disproportionately represented in fatal traffic accidents and had even worse violation records. The records showed that speed related equipment and noise were represented disproportionately. Kaestner was quoted as saying that this violation record was "indicative of agressive, egocentric personalities and also reflects a definite immaturity on the part of the driver." Women involved in fatal traffic accidents were more likely to be unlicensed. The American Youth 27 which were alcohol related. magazine discussed two studies In an Illinois study, the Illinois Medical Society and the Illinois Coroners Association coop­ erated in the study investigating accidents in which 142 25 Donald C. Pelz, "Driver Motivations and Attitudes," Driver Behavior - Cause and Effect (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1968), p. ill. 26 American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators Bulletin, Vol. 51, No. T3 (December 1966) , p. 3"! 2 ^"Alcohol: Killer at the Wheel," American Youth Magazine, Vol. 8 , No. 4 (November-December"J 19 67), pp. 12-13. teen-aged drivers were killed. One out of three of the drivers had a measurable amount of alcohol in the blood. Nearly one-half of the alcohol group had a blood alcohol level over 0.15 per cent. A California study in which 407 drivers were killed in single vehicle accidents reported that 75 per cent of the drivers had been drinking. Of the 407, 49 were teen-agers and nearly one-half of them had a blood alcohol level which averaged 0.14 per cent. K r a u s , et al^. 28 conducted a study in Ontario in which they indicated several factors that influence accident and violation records of young drivers. Using a control group and attempting to match the group with the experimental group, they checked the driving experience and record, family history, residence history, health history and habits, employment history, history of contacts with law enforcement agencies, and a self-rating of several personality charac­ teristics for each individual. They concluded that using the above categories would be helpful in determining those who might be predisposed to be involved in traffic accidents and have a traffic violation record. Carlson and Klein 29 studied university students and a control group of young drivers aged 16-25 to determine 28 A. S. Kraus, et a l ., "Pre-Driving Identification Young Drivers With a High Risk of Accidents," Journal of Safety Research, Vol. 2, No. 2 (June, 1970), ppT 55-56. 29 William L. Carlson and David Klein, "Familial vs. Institutional Socialization of the Young Traffic Offender," Journal of Safety Research, Vol. 2, No. 1 (March, 1970), pp. 13-25. 21 factors which influence accident and violation experience. They concluded that there was a positive correlation between a father's record when compared to the son. They stated that some driving behavior is learned after years of observ­ ing the father drive. Other anti-social behavior is a factor when attempting to predict a young driver's record. Grade point averages, entrance examination marks and housing were factors considered in the study. Discussion of Previous Research Although much has been written about the teen-aged driver as a result of research, there is little directly related to the 16 year old driver involved in fatal traffic accidents. Most of the research has grouped the 16 year old driver with drivers of greater age as if to say there is no difference between the 16 year old, 17 year old, 18 year old and 19 year old. Several of the studies included the 16 year old in a group which included all those under 21 and at times with all of those under 25, again inferring that there is no difference between the ages. Pelz, Schuman, et, al^. , have limited age groups to the greatest extent. Kritz and Nilsson used a group of new drivers in their study. The importance of demographic data, socio-economic factors, emotional and psychological factors, educational factors, and exposure factors are becoming more important as variables which need measuring to determine their importance in traffic safety and particularly as they relate to the young driver. It was not the purpose of this study to investigate these factors, but rather to present data about the fatal traffic accidents in which 16 year old drivers were involved. At present, the literature does not include this information. Although the data is available, no one has seen fit to present the information and it is the intent of this study to do so. CHAPTER III DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY Introduction The years 1968 and 1969 have shown a dramatic increase in the number of 16 year old Michigan drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. Preliminary study in this area indicated that very little investigation has been done that dealt exclusively with the 16 year old driver involved in fatal traffic accidents. Previous work has tended to group drivers in catagories of teen-agers, youthful drivers or young drivers. The study was planned as an exploratory search for the common factors which are descriptive of the fatal traffic accidents of the 16 year old driver. Although police accident reports have been criticized for not supplying data for viable accident prevention efforts, investigation of the techniques used by police officers investigating fatal traffic accidents has shown a thoroughness quite similar to that followed in the investigation of a homicide. A check was made of the philosophy and policies of the Michigan Department of State Police, two sheriffs departments, a large city police 23 department, a small city police department, and a township police department to determine the thoroughness of the investigations. The Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police concurred that the fatal traffic accident reports and supplemental reports supplied data which would provide meaningful information for this study. A review of the literature revealed that nearly all prior studies regarding young drivers tended to group them rather than separate them by age. Although the studies had revealed common factors in the accidents of young drivers, no such studies were found covering fatal traffic accidents of the 16 year old driver. The literature suggested that in relatively unexplored areas descriptive studies might reveal data which would be valuable in suggest­ ing future research in this area. It was decided to use the Michigan Department of State's driver record files to determine the driver's accident and violation record and the length of driving experience prior to involvement in a fatal traffic accident. Sample The study group sample was the total number of 16 year old Michigan drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents during the years 1967 through 1969. The Nature of the Variables The variables were selected from a number of items listed on the fatal traffic accident reports on file with the Michigan Department of State Police and the driver record files of the Michigan Department of State. Prior to their selection, careful consideration was given to those variables which would provide the most extensive and reliable information. Preliminary investigation and consultation with the personnel of the Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police, Highway Safety Research Institute of the University of Michigan, and the Driver Records Section of the Michigan Department of State provided guidance in the selection of the variables. The factors of incompleteness and inaccuracy of the accident records were considered to be variables which could influence the relationships inferred from the data. Preliminary investigation indicated that items used in this study and obtained from the accident report forms and driver records were virtually always completed. Those variables used which called for the interpretation by the investigating officer(s) were accepted as expert and/or considered judgement for the purpose of this study. It was felt that the data collected from the fatal traffic accident record files of the Michigan Department of State Police and the driver record files of the Michigan Department of State would yield information which would allow conclusions to be made about the fatal traffic accidents involving the 16 year old Michigan driver. It was felt that the information gathered from the data would provide a better understanding of this particular fatal traffic accident phase of the total traffic accident problem. The variables selected were: Time Year Month Day of week Hour/period of day Environment Light conditions Weather Road conditions Direction of travel Total number of vehicles involved Accident type Road type and location Number killed Number injured Occupancy of vehicle Driver Killed Injured Violation indicated Sex Age Date of original license application License restrictions Accident and violation record prior to fatal accident involvement Apparent driver condition 27 Vehicle Year Type Apparent condition Investigation Agency Arrest Photographs Re-examination Traffic engineering Selection of the Time Period ^or the Study After investigating the fatal traffic accident records for the 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents from 1963 through 1969, it was determined that from 196 3 through 19 6 6 the average number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents was about 39 (38.75).1 Therefore, because of the dramatic increase of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents, it was decided to collect data for the year 1967 with 39 drivers recorded, 196 8 with 60 drivers recorded, and 1969 with 85 drivers recorded. The data collection for 1969 was not undertaken until the month of May 1970, allowing four months to pass to be sure that all appropriate information had been received and filed in the Safety and Traffic Division of the ^Michigan Department of State Police, Michigan Traffic Accident Facts, 1967, East Lansing: Department of State Police, p. 42. Michigan Department of State Police and the driver records section of the Michigan Department of State. The data does not include those individuals who may have expired since collection of the data. A twelve month period, following the date of the accident, was used to make a final tally of fatal traffic accidents and deaths which resulted from injuries sustained in those accidents. Procedures for Collecting Data Fatal Traffic Accident Reports The Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police supplied a computer readout for the 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents for the years 1967 through 1969. The readout contained the following information: 1. 2. 3. 4. Michigan State Police accident report number Date of accident Numerical listing of the county Age of the driver An alphabetical listing of the counties in Michigan was developed and each accident report number listed for the county was entered. This procedure was followed for each of the three years included in the study. For the years of 1967 and 1968, the Safety and Traffic Division of the Michigan Department of State Police had microfilmed each accident report and its supplemental data by county and Michigan State Police accident report 29 number. Using a Kodak Recordak microfilm reader, the researcher recorded applicable data for each fatal traffic accident used in the study. Since the 1969 fatal accident records had not been microfilmed, the "hard copy," which had been separated by county and filed by number, was screened to record the pertinent information. When difficulty interpreting the accident report data was encountered, a member of the Safety and Traffic Division staff was consulted for clarification, and the information recorded. Driver Records The Driver Records Section of the Michigan Department of State suggested that the information desired for inclusion in the study could be acquired from the driver record computer t a p e s . This suggestion was taken under consideration and a formal request was made for the use of the tape information. The request was approved. The researcher supplied the Driver Records Section of the Michigan Secretary of State with a list of drivers' license numbers for each 16 year old Michigan licensed driver involved in a fatal traffic accident during the years 1967 through 1969. The computer readout supplied the following information: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Name of License Date of Address Date of driver identification number birth original application for a license 30 . 7. 8 . 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Restrictions Reportable accidents--place, date, type Violation records— place, date, charge Court action— place, date Points charged against driver Department of State License Appeal Board action Suspension and revocation information Re-examination information Warning letter information 6 Treatment of the Data Accident Report Data A map of Michigan was used to tabulate the number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents in each county for each year, 196 7 through 1969. The number of male and female drivers involved were tabulated for each year using the following catagories: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 . Michigan licensed drivers Michigan Minor Operator Permit Out of state licensed drivers Michigan Temporary Instruction Permit Michigan Driver Education Certificate No license Frequency distributions were developed using day of week and time of day for each year. The day was divided into ten time periods, taking into consideration rush hour traffic, noon hour, school dismissal times, and extra class and social activities. The breakdown of the 24 hour day was developed as follows: 12:01 3:01 6:31 9:01 11:31 AM AM AM AM AM - 3:00 - 6:30 - 9:00 - 11:30 - 1:30 AM AM AM AM PM 1:31 4:01 6:01 8:01 10:01 PM - 4:00 PM PM - 6:00 PM PM - 8:00 PM PM - 10:00 PM PM - 12:00 PM A frequency distribution was developed for the day of the week and month of the year for each year. Frequency distributions were developed for the follow­ ing catagories for each year: 1. Type of accident a. b. c. d. e. f. Single vehicle Two vehicle Three vehicle Four vehicle Railroad crossing Pedestrian and bicycle 2. Number killed and injured in 16 year old operated vehicle 3. Number killed and injured in other vehicle(s) 4. Number of involvements with the 16 year old operator as the sole occupant a. b. c. d. e. f. gh. i. j• 5. 6 Male - killed/injured Female - killed/injured Day/night Total number killed and injured in the accident One vehicle Two vehicles Three vehicles Four vehicles Railroad crossing accident Pedestrian and bicycle accident Number of involvements with 16 year old operator and one or more occupants using the same cata­ gories listed in number 4. . Position of killed, injured and type of on the 16 year old operated vehicle. are coded as follows; injury in/ The injuries K- Dead A- Visible signs of injury, as bleeding wound or distorted member, or had to be carried from the scene B- Other visible injury, as bruises, swelling, limping, etc. C- No visible injury, but complaint of pain or momentary unconsciousness 0- No indication of injury 7. Investigation a. b. c. d. 8 . 9‘. 10. 11. At scene Photographs Investigating agency Disposition Apparent physical condition of 16 year old operator Drinking condition Vision obstructions Weather 12. Light condition 13. Kind of locality 14. Roadway a. b. c. d. 15. Construction Surface Character Condition Intersection 16. Estimated speed of 16 year old operated vehicle 17. Direction of 16 year old operated vehicle 18. Road type 19. Driver action of 16 year old operator 20. Violation indicated for 16 year old operator 21. Condition of 16 year old operated vehicle 22. Presence of traffic control 23. Type and year of vehicle operated by 16 year old driver Additional frequency distributions were developed to cover pedestrian and bicycle accidents, farm vehicle accidents, and motorcycle accidents for each year. 33 Driver Record Data The driver record data was recorded in two frequency distribution tables. 1. Driving experience - number of months from date of original application for license to the date of the fatal traffic accident involvement listed in months 2. Driving record prior to accident involvement for licensed drivers only a. b. c. d. No record (No violation or accident listed) Violation(s) only Accident(s) only Accident(s) and violation(s) only Summary The study was planned as an exploratory search for the common factors which are most descriptive of the fatal traffic accidents of the 16 year old driver. The fatal traffic accident report files of the Michigan Department of State Police and the computer tape driver record files of the Michigan Department of State were used as sources for the data collected and tabulated. All pertinent information relative to the fatal traffic accidents was taken from all of the fatal traffic accident reports in which 16 year old drivers were involved in the State of Michigan for the years 1967 through 1969. Driver records were obtained for 91.2 per cent of the 16 year old Michigan licensed drivers involved in the fatal traffic accidents included in the study. 34 Frequency distributions using rows and columns, and totals and percentages were used to measure and analyze the variables. It was felt that a descriptive study might reveal common factors contributing to the involvement of the 16 year old in fatal traffic accidents and provide worthwhile leads for curriculum improvement in driver education, changes in the driver licensing procedures and further research. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF THE DATA Introduction The study was designed to determine certain factors of fatal traffic accidents in Michigan from 196 7 through 1969 in which 16 year old drivers were involved. The data from the fatal traffic accident reports on file with the Michigan Department of State Police were recorded and tabulated by hand. The data from the driver record computer tapes of the Michigan Department of State were recorded and tabulated by hand. The data were tabulated descriptively for analysis and discussion. The data were organized in the following manner for presentation and discussion: A. A map of the State of Michigan with a tabulation of the number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents for each county; B. A frequency distribution of year, month, and day of the week; C. A frequency distribution of year, day of the week, and time of day; D. A listing of the type of accident (number of vehicles, train or pedestrian/bicycle) with the number killed and injured in the 16 year old operated vehicle, and the number killed and injured in the other vehicle(s); A listing of the accidents involving more than one 16 year old operator; A frequency distribution of the number of type of accidents where the 16 year old operator was the sole occupant of his vehicle showing the sex of the driver, injury to the driver, day or night, and the total number of fatalities and injuries for one, two, three, and four vehicle accidents, railroad crossing accidents, and pedestrian/bicycle accidents; A frequency distribution of the number and type of accidents where the 16 year old operator was accompanied by one or more passengers using the same variables listed for item 6 above; A frequency distribution of accidents by sex, licensed and unlicensed drivers, and day or night involvement; Apparent physical condition and drinking condition of the driver; A frequency distribution of the position of the occupants in the 16 year old operated vehicle showing fatalities and type of injury sustained; A listing of the type and year of the vehicle operated by sex; Apparent vehicle condition as judged in the considered opinion of the investigating officer(s); Environmental conditions; . . 3. 4. 5. 6 . 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 1 2 Weather Light conditions Kind of locality Roadway construction Roadway surface Roadway character Listed roadway defects Vision obstructions Intersection Speed estimate Direction Road type Driver action Traffic control N. Indicated violation in the considered opinion of the investigating officer(s); O. Investigating agency; 1. 2. 3. 4. P. Photographs Agency Disposition Remarks and recommendations Special catagories of fatal traffic accidents; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 . 7. Unpaved roadway accidents Farm vehicle accidents Motorcycle accidents Pedestrian and bicycle accidents Table of drivers by sex indicating a. licensed-Michigan, out of state, minor operator b. temporary instruction permit c. driver education certificate d. no license e. length of driving experience in months from date of original application. Michigan licensed drivers only Licensed Michigan drivers records prior to the fatal accident involvement a. no record b. conviction of violation c. reportable accident(s) d. accident(s) and violation(s) Unlicensed drivers fatal accidents by sex, sole or multiple occupancy, day or night, and type of accident After collecting the data from the accident report forms, it was discovered that the year 1967 had 39 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. For 1967, one of the accidents listed by the Michigan Department of State Police was discarded because the driver was too young, however, a complete search of the records revealed an accident which was not listed on the original computer read­ out. The Michigan Department of State Police computer readout for 1968 listed 60 drivers. A search of the reports for 1968 yielded an additional 16 year old driver for a total of 61. The computer readout for 1969 listed 85 drivers. The actual count of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents in Michigan was: 1969-84; 1967-39; 1968-61; for a total of 184. The number of accidents in which 16 year old drivers were involved was 181. In 1967 there occurred one accident in which two 16 year old drivers were involved, and in 196 8 there occurred two such accidents. The 1969 accidents had no more than one 16 year old in each accident for a total of 84. The number of accidents for each year were: 1967-38; 1968-59; and 1969-84 for a total of 181 fatal traffic accidents in which 16 year old drivers were involved. In 196 8 , five of the 16 year old drivers were not Michigan licensed drivers. In 1969, one 16 year old driver was not a Michigan licensed driver. Analysis of the Data The maps, Figures 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, of the State of Michigan show the number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents for each county. The number of accidents was greatest in the counties of southern lower Michigan. The population centers are located in this area. The maps indicate that the accidents happened in and around those counties having large cities. Of the 181 fatal ^diw»wf ^ CwftVACO* ootmc1 . A 1 V . 1 ^ | I twcr-'I !MA*ourrqrI V i_ -j_ _ _ [ Jl»ON |5cff)«sQ» j M40CM4C- fSvtn - >w4 Wnom^ ‘ d 5 1 Lw. ..J C W T , / f j.V ~ •< r 1 V r* 5 » W * ? / ’ ..! i«- ) MICHIGAN 'n ! t (* H i T L i !ewMAv"piako~ ! j■ \ . j.. 2J p J ,1 i_ J Y&mrtf< i*»r'LAKr ' T o k j o u owir <* 1 : I "tomrafwwwo tMtoorik ( r i VOTT*M«j «■ p5i»“ M i tMUOm i <* \ J r [ v "V*- A M ! i... ^ cntiu j_ ! i 3 , ' * zr)\ J* ~T?***»* •-TT.-1I I : (IMP »■ ! i 4 j i i i ■ j i ! ! 1 j \ 3 / FIGURE 4.1.— Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents By County For 1967. Si) 1 i4 i * jH _ j !j. !_ j__ l_4 / t4 h_. t~c*u ~|njotmm j " p i o i w a f i 2 v I JTm AI « 5 5 J S S n m ~ *1ja c a jo v 7 * ^ i^ T T iw V T iw * ’* ? Z 2 _ \ i i \ ^ ' f' OMffQN i'tMurr j aaf nw * i j . ^ • * . ' L *? Zr^*Sw~- r *? :Mot^uhr *res4nor-[w»J*-'* &*<*»} l r ' \ 'p,Trv '*■-«&■ |cisu.-^\V I r 1 t • '—MMOUMAe—*•->! , 1 I Carin* - J-1 |««Mf 1-------- , < - \ - / j r - r p .*• V p L/ & s , jpjAm&gjr | >* A I i_ . °y y ^ r ~ l MICHIGAN H T ! 4 _. J } jo rM o o S a * ■ "» « * -!* > » * ! c v r '1= * » ^ l_ L . ! L .i j [ AJ w 5 * a w |m w tf»t«jiE w rf»> tw | 08w w >7"pflic» m«jom ; UK! < J (_ j ~ [b fo o u j jCLMir fo u e w w R w e | ! J j 1 — ___1— ! *?1 r^ " 1 I 1 ! . “ ■ ____ ; VOTTAWA j 1 • \ ;;muihaler' T ~ • * / \ U _V y ^ « \ . "'’j 1 i \ 1 I . . •— f * 2 .j- r & f t 1 \ | : \ccntsti i t=wa’“\ ! pSlNA 'I^MTOV fWMMli^ j \ - i i I___ i 3L____ j i |_i i : 2•i 5f_.j. -■■■l t 1 cwniuD t au tiitOAH < /oaw >1 Ij'MMr u u v L J 21 /Siw au»fw[Mi AwwiiJ o*x6m~ i s t w a ^ * ^ f*eom\ : m km i ‘(wtfM^ww^ngS) 1 — —~.~ ■*■ ;«nn j > ! 1i 4 A ± \_i_ i _1 |_1 [_2 |_9/ _ ’[ n wwbr itiwnw*tT^«Mw*« T^wwof j_ !j 1 j j 1 j 2 ! y ' ) FIGURE 4.2.— Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents By County For 1968. !l- * J I ! ItH tN IM M IIIM H H IH ItM H M M H IH IIIl - oor^c1"! \ ( \2?T\ I ; r««flurrws 1 /*.— i—^-->T / jLuct ( j.m i— j r J -----i 1 !■**’ ] "i A niur-'n ^ k Uafcrw'^ A . !— s*' ° A V i MICHIGAN ^ • i : r f £& L S carao* "tSifiaSr rL”^ rI ~T !!__ J_jMOiOffi1 ! Ii i lfoomivJiMCp -t* 33_[I 111J_ • i !i 22 . i x * v) [77iMiucd<£^mT~ ~jMUjw7 ~ ^ 1 \‘i || | 1 i Ju.-■ \ j| : , I»«»’"V* i lowlrtMO-sbii •f .nccr*| ?! ); ! Z /! i10 ■ !3 / I* ^ ! /Fi_i_3 J _1 L 1 .L. .L-i/ z _ ii * . ‘ffiuhgrpri*** ' ' " j *9 ~lT*wr * i_ _ i. i _ i _ i j j . _ L 3. / FIGURE 4.3.— Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents By County For 1969. ^ 7 ^ r i i ;i L ._Jt*J i r«*»w»mv /* * j 't ,;tue* -j1 ’Tjw d T V j^wwi” 1 wvri *- ! tsou^r. \ I /* r i— r 1 1 .2 \>\ i l'*40*'^ I ,— a !.cv/pwwh W i, 2 ! f&» " ‘‘l [**i«crH >■ ’ r !» ,*v, . W - ^ ^ O e C ^ ^ f ~ J w * ' y vj# t^'^p (b",i « « E f ‘- » # * , 19 ?/ ^ yf ^ tfi& _ 4j . _ . l . _ C -0 MICHIGAN < ? & i^T \“ ! _ !f i ! * ij l > f pjminr ttro^miuuKtTfSolbtfia^ouMAvjksco < i^ i M - i 1 i 3 ! V ! I ! tU^w~ \ HAS&T'LAKi ~T0KtQLA 1CLMV { fflL tfW T w w C n^sramortMfoem r JfWASH *mri s#f m m r rjfMauJ m s r w UmLmd t i S &* * VJ- | ^n*na^ V ’ 2 ! i |3 *MourcMt^'tcidt^P*6**** 1~A T*” * Vomit j [5 j » j ttutam ^ j 1 ( 3 j J j 2 J i ; i__ 1____ i fM M r :c n w j 1 j 6 *.I * 2■ j \ g- il-irfio \ pawS— •^a*?5;te3UJ5^6f*^W, | L t_._\_ I / 4 1 _ * " _ *> *— ^s» I5 ®4" \ 1 i 7 j 1 3 . 1 4 . 2 ) |7Ja* w T 1 u.»* « iw * j } J fowriuo !ow4 «o - i*****•• I ?. I j_ q I 3 j 1 I 15 ! f i t Mauai*~ J / / |* «*L . jLsno4Jut*f_ 3 L 2 L 2 . L i ? / 7 _LJ 1 | 3i 3 i 8f* FIGURE 4.4.— Total Number of 16 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Accidents By County for 1967 - 1969. 43 traffic accidents in which a 16 year old driver was involved, 2 8.7 per cent were investigated by city police departments. A line was drawn on the northern boundary of Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Midland, Bay, and Huron counties to indicate the southern lower peninsula. The tally for the counties south of this line showed 159 (86.4 per cent) 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. The counties of Kent, Oakland, and Wayne showed the greatest increase in the number of accidents from 1967 through 1969. The county of Eaton showed the greatest decrease from 1967 through 1969. For 1969, Kent County tallied 0, the years 1967, 1968, and 3, and 6; Oakland County tallied 1, 4, and 10; and Wayne County tallied 4, 9, and 11. Eaton County tallied 4, 2, and 0. The frequency distribution of the number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents by year, month and day of the week, Table 4.1, indicates that the months of November, August, and September, with 25, 22, and 21 drivers respectively had the greatest number of involve­ ments. January and February, with 3 and 9 drivers respectively, had the lowest totals. November had the highest percentage, 13.6, of the drivers involved for the three year period. Tuesdays had a total of 16 drivers involved for the lowest total for the days of the week. Saturdays, Sundays, Fridays, and Thursdays had 39, 29, 28, and 27 drivers involved respectively. Saturdays had the highest percentage, 2 1 .2, of the drivers involved for the three year period. * TABLE 4 .1 .— Distribution of Drivers Involved by Year, Day, and Month. Sunday 67 68 69 T Monday 67 68 69 T Tuesday 67 68 69 T Wednesday 67 68 63 T Thursday 67 68 69 T Friday 67 68 69 T Saturday 67 68 69 T Total 67 68 69 Per Cent of Total T Jan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 o 0 1 2 3 1.63 Feb 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 9 4.89 Mar 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 3 2 5 0 6 8 14 7.61 Apr 1 0 1 2 2 1 0 3 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 4 2 5 11 5.98 May 1 1 2 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 0 4 2 6 2 1 2 5 4 8 8 20 10.87 Jun 0 2 4 6 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 1 2 2 5 0 1 1 2 3 6 9 18 9.78 Jul 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 0 1 2 1 2 1 4 0 0 3 3 2 3 9 14 7.61 Aug 0 1 2 3 0 1 3 4 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4 6 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 3 5 7 10 22 11.96 Sept 0 2 1 3 2 0 1 3 1 1 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 4 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 6 6 6 9 21 11.41 Oct 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 2 1 1 2 4 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 4 9 15 8.15 Nov 3 1 1 5 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 2 0 1 3 \ 2 0 3 0 2 0 2 1 5 2 8 10 10 5 25 13.59 Dec 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 1 2 1 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 4 12 6.52 TOTAL 6 10 13 29 9 9 5 23 3 6 7 16 5 4 13 22 6 6 15 27 39 61 84 184 100.00 3 11 14 28 7 15 17 39 3 5 45 Sundays in June and November, Thursdays in August and September, Fridays in May and June, and Saturdays in November and September were the days with the highest involvements for the months indicated. The frequency distribution of the number of 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents by year, day of the week, and time period of the day, Table 4.2, indicates that the 8:01 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. period, with 34 drivers involved and the 6:01 - 8:00 p.m. period, with 30 drivers involved had the highest number of involvements. Those two time periods accounted for 34.78 per cent of the t o tal. The 10:01 p.m. - 12:00 p.m. period on Fridays had eleven, 8:01 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. on Wednesdays had ten, 6:01 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays had nine, and 6:01 p.m. 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays had eight. The three time periods for the four days mentioned above accounted for thirtyeight 16 year old drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. The thirty-eight represented 20.6 5 per cent of the total. Sundays through Wednesdays and Saturdays during the time period of 11:31 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. indicated a relatively high incidence of accident involvement. That 32 1/2 hour segment of a full week tallied 51 drivers involved, represent­ ing 27.72 per cent of the total. TABLE 4.2 .— Distribution of Drivers Involved by Year, Day, and Time. Sunday 67 68 69 Monday T 67 68 69 Tuesday T 67 68 69 T Wednesday T 67 68 69 Thursday 67 68 69 Saturday Friday T 67 68 69 T 67 68 69 Total T 67 68 69 Per Cent of Total 1 12:013:00 AH 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 4 4 8 4.38 3 :016:30 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.54 6 :319:00 AM 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 6 3.26 9 :0111:30 AM 1 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 3 4 2 3 9 4.89 11:311:30 PM 1 3 1 5 1 2 1 4 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 4 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 3 5 9 7 21 11.41 1 :314:00 PM 1 1 2 4 0 4 1 5 1 0 3 4 1 1 1 3 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 3 1 5 0 6 4 13 9 26 14.13 4 :016:00 PM 1 2 2 5 3 0 0 3 0 3 2 5 0 1 2 3 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 3 1 2 6 8 8 9 25 13.59 6 :018:00 PM 0 0 2 2 1 1 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 7 9 1 1 3 5 1 4 3 8 6 6 18 30 16.30 8 :0110:00 PM 1 1 2 4 3 1 0 4 1 0 1 2 1 2 7 10 0 0 3 3 1 2 3 6 0 2 3 5 7 8 19 34 18.48 10 :0112:00 PM 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 5 0 4 7 11 1 1 2 4 2 10 11 23 12.50 0 0 1 1- (Daylight) 1 1 0.54 6 6 15 27 39 61 84 184 100.00 • Not Listed TOTAL 6 10 13 29 9 9 5 23 3 6 7 16 5 4 13 22 3 11 14 28 7 15 17 39 The 6:01 p.m. to midnight time period for Thursdays through Saturdays accounted for 56 drivers involved in an 18 hour time segment, representing 30.43 per cent of the total. Table 4.3 shows the type of accidents in which the 16 year old drivers were involved. The total number killed and injured in all accidents is given. The number killed and injured in the 16 year old operated vehicle, and the number killed and injured in other vehicles are included. The pedestrian/bicycle category shows a total of 33 accidents in which 35 people were killed and one injured. The fatalities and the injured were all pedestrian or bicyclists. The driver and occupant deaths and injuries are included in the 16 year old vehicle section. The 33 pedestrian/bicycle accidents accounted for 18.23 per cent of the total number of accidents. The 50 single vehicle accidents reflect 27.62 cent of the total. Two vehicle 40.88 per cent of the total. per accidents accounted for Three vehicle accidents accounted for 8.29 per cent of the total. Four vehicle accidents accounted for 1.66 per cent of the total. Rail­ road crossing accidents accounted for 3.31 per cent of the total. The fatalities, 56.71 per per cent, were sustained in the 16 year old driver. cent, and injuries, 62.30 vehicle operated by the Fatal injuries sustained by pedestrians or bicyclists accounted for 15.15 per cent of the total. iBLE 4.3.— Type of Accident. Number of Accidents Per Cent of Total 1967 1968 1969 ngle Vehicle 12 13 25 50 27.62 ro Vehicle 14* 26 34 74 40.88 Total iree Vehicle 3 6 ** 6 15 8.29 >ur Vehicle 0 1 2 3 1.66 :ain 1 3 2 6 3.31 33 18.23 181 100.00 sdestrian & Bicyclist 8 (9K) 9 (1 0 K ,2 1 ) 1 6 (16K,1I) unber killed in 16 year old vechicle 26 41 64 131 56.71 unber injured in 16 year old vehicle 42 69 79 190 62.30 imber killed in other vehicle(s) 12 30 18 65 28.14 imber injured in other vehicle(s) 10 40 62 112 37.38 Total Number Killed - 231 Total Number Injured - 305 .967 - two 16 year old drivers involved in a single two vechilce accident. 1968 - two three vehicle accidents had two 16 year old drivers involved in each. 49 Fatalities and injuries in the other vehicles accounted for 28*14 per cent and 37.38 per cent of the respective totals. Table 4.4 is a frequency distribution of accident involvement by sex, licensed/unlicensed, day/night for the years included in the study. The number of male drivers who were unlicensed totalled 12.50 per cent and the number of female drivers who were unlicensed totalled 3.26 per cent. Of the 184 drivers involved, 101 (54.89 per cent) were involved during the d a y . Twenty-nine unlicensed drivers were involved; 21 had their accident during the day. The distribution of licensed driver involvement shows 64 males and 16 females in day accidents, and 61 males and 14 females in night accidents. Of the 148 male drivers involved, 125 were licensed. This was 67.95 per cent of the total number of drivers. Thirty-six female drivers were involved. 30 were licensed. Of these, This was 16.3 per cent of the total number of drivers. Male drivers accounted for 80.43 per cent of the total number of drivers. Female drivers accounted for 19.57 per cent of the total number of drivers. TABLE 4.4.— Accidents by Sex. 1967 Day/Night — Day__________ Sub1968 1969 Total Licensed/Unlicensed Night 1967 Total Per Cent of Total 1968 1969 SubTotal 61 125 67.94 Male Licensed Unlicensed 11 26* 27 64 7 21* 33** 5 5 6 16 3 0 4 7 23 12.50 7 3 6 16 3 5 6 14 30 16.30 5 1 0 0 1 6 3.26 101 14 26 43 83 184 100.00 Female Licensed Unlicensed Total 2 1 25 35 2 41 * 5 out-of-state - 3 males/day, 2 males/night *A 1 out-of-state - male/night 51 Table 4.5 was developed to indicate the type of driving permit, if any, for each driver. The table shows that 29 of the 178 Michigan resident drivers were unlicensed; this was 16.3 per cent. Of the male Michigan residents, 16.2 per cent were unlicensed and 16.67 per cent of the females were unlicensed. It should be noted that in 1967, of the three 16 year old drivers operating with a Driver Education Certificate, only the female was accompanied by a licensed adult, her father. None of the 16 year old drivers driving on a Temporary Instruction Permit were accompanied by a licensed adult. All of the out-of-state drivers were licensed males. Two from Ohio, one each in 1968 and 1969 and two from Illinois in 1968 were involved. One 16 year old driver was from Indiana and one from Tennessee involved in 1968. TABLE 4.5.— Distribution of Drivers by License. Male Female 67 65 1961. Coppin, R. S.; Ferdun, G. S.; and Peck, R. C. The Teen-Age Driver--An Evolution of Acfe, Experience, Driving Exposure and Driver Training as They Relate to Driving R e c o r d State of California: Department of Motor Vehicles, February, 1965. Driessen, Gerald. "Fallacy of the Untrained Driver." Autumn, 1969, pp. 24-26. Analogy, Driver Behavior--Cause and Effect, ed. James O'Day. Washington, D . C .: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1968. "Emergency Care Studied at U.M." Traffic Safety, Vol. 69, No. 11, November, 1969, p. 6. Emery, Sister Marie Therese, O.p. "A Study of Certain Factors Related to the Patterns of Driving, Accident and Violation Rates of 436, 17 and 18 Year-Old Licensed Drivers From Two Lansing Catholic Schools." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 1969. Gesteland, Norman. "Let's Teach the Teen-Ager How to Drive When They Drive Most Often— At Night." Traffic Dige s t , XV, No. 11, November, 1967, pp. 3-7. Goldstein, Leon G. "The Case Against Driver Ed." graphed Critique, 1969), pp. 1-26. (Mimeo­ Hadden, William, Jr.; Suchman, Edward A.; and Klein, David. Accident Research--Methods and Approaches. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1964. Harano, Richard M. and Peck, Raymond C. The California Motor­ cycle Study— Driver and Accident Characteristics. Sacramento: California Department of Motor Vehicles, 1968. Holmes, Harold. "Attention and the Student Driver." Traffic Safety, Vol. 69, No. 10, October, 1969, pp. 20-21, 33. How to Bring More Back A l i v e . Detroit, 1967. Automobile Club of Michigan. Johnson, Duane Reed. "A Case Study of Motorcycle Accidents in Three Illinois Counties." U n p u b l i s h e d Ed.D. disserta­ tion, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 1968. Kaestner, Noel F. Study of Licensed Drivers in Oregon— Part II— Analysis of Traffic Involvement Records! Salem: Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, 1964. ________ . "Similarity of Traffic Involvement Records of Young Drivers and Drivers in Fatal Traffic Accidents." Traffic Safety Research Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, June, 1^64 , p p . 34-40 . ________ . A Second Look at Licensed Drivers in Oregon. Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, 1967. Salem: Kaywood, Richard. "McGuire Study Challenged." California Journal of Traffic Safety Education, October, 1969, --------------- Kemper, Warren A. A Teen-Age Pattern. Skokie, Illinois: All State Insurance Companies. (reprint). King, Gerald F. The Acfe Characteristics of Michigan Drivers. East Lansing! Highway Traffic Safety Center, Michigan State University, 1958. Klein, David. "The Teen-Age Driver— A Research Paradigm." Traffic Quarterly, XXII, No. 1, January, 196 8, pp. 9 7107 . ________ . "A Reappraisal of the Violation and Accident Data on Teen-Aged Drivers." Traffic Quarterly, XX, No. 4, October, 1966, pp. 502-51$. Kraus, A. S.; Steele, R . ; Ghent, W. R.; and Thompson, M. G. "Pre-Driving Identification of Young Drivers with a High Risk of Accidents." Journal of Safety Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, June, 19 70,_pp. 55-66. Kritz, Lars-Bruno, and Nilsson, Goran. Young Drivers and Road Accidents. Stockholm: Official Swedish Council on Road Safety Research, November, 1967. Lauer, A. R. "A Sampling Study of Drivers on the Highways for the Twenty-Four Hour Period-Driver Characteristics and Accidents." Highway Research Board Bulletin, LXXXII, 1953, pp. 14-31. 'Age and Sex in Relation to Accidents." Traffic Safety Research Review, Vol. 3, No. 4, Chicago: National Safety Council, Sept., 1959, pp. 21-25. Little, Arthur D . , Inc. The State of the Art of Traffic Safety. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Automobile Manu­ facturers Association, Inc., 1966. Little, Joseph W. Michigan Driver Profile. Ann Arbor: Highway Safety Research- Institute, University of Michigan, April, 1968. Man and the Traffic Process. ed. Norman L. Vincent and Gerald L. Moatman. Washington, D.C.: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1969. McFarland, Ross A., and Moore, Roland C. Youth and the Automobile. New York: Association and the Aid of crippiea cnildren, 1960. Michigan Traffic Accident Department of State Facts. East Lansing: Police, 1967. Michigan Michigan Traffic Accident Department o£ State F a c t s . East Lansing: Police,1968. Michigan Michigan Traffic Accident Digest. East Lansing: Department of State Police, 1969. Michigan Vehicle Code. State, 1968. "Motorcycle Facts." August, 1969. Lansing: Chicago: Michigan Michigan Department of National Safety Council, New York State Accident Fac t s . Albany: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, 1968. New York State Accident F a c t s . Albany: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, 1969. New York Driver's Manual. Albany: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, 1968. New York State Vehicle and Traffic L a w . Albany: New York Parry, Meyer H. Aggression on the R o a d . Publications, 196 8. London: Tavistock Pedersen, Rod. "Driver Education at Concord: A Follow-up Survey." Unpublished Master's Term Paper, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 1969. Pelz, Donald C. "Driver Motivations and Attitudes." Driver Behavior— Cause and Effect, ed. O'Day, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1968. ________ . Young Driver Intern Program. Ann Arbor: Institute University of Michigan, April, 1968. (mimeographed). o l Social Research, ________ . and Schuman, Stanley H. "Dangerous Young Drivers." Research, No. 2, Highway Safety Research Institute, University of Michigan, June, 1968. _______. "Young Drivers: Road Behavior and Motivations." (Third Traffic Medicine Congress, New York City, May 29June 1, 1969). Ann Arbor: Highway Research Institute, University of Michigan, April, 1969. (mimeographed). Porter, Harry, Jr. "Roadside Booby Traps." Traffic Safety, Vol. 69, no. 10, October, 1969, pp. 16-17, 35-56, 38-39. Portrait of a Year--What Happened on Michigan Highways in 1968. Detroit: Automobile Club of Michigan, 1969. Reamer, Noval and F r e e l , Tom. "What Parents Should Know About Young Drivers." Motor N e w s , Vol. 51, no. 4, October, 1968, pp. 22, 32^ (reprint). Reimbursement Summaries, 1955-69. Lansing: Michigan State Department of Education-Driver Education, undated. (reprint Reports of Study Conwiittees of Governor's Special Commission on Traffic Safety. Lansing: Michigan State Safety Commission, September 11, 1964. Ross, H. L. "Driving Records of Accident Involved Drivers." Traffic Safety Research Review, Vol. 4, no. 4, December, 1940, pp. 52-14.--------------Schlesinger, Lawrence E. Is There a Teen-Acfe Driver in Your House? New York: The New American Library, 1967. 134 Schuman, Stanley H . ; Pelz, Donald C. ; Ehrlich, Nathaniel J.; and Selzer, Melvin L. "Young Male Drivers— Impulse Expression, Accidents and Violations." The Journal of the American Med ical Associat i o n , Vol~ 200, June, l£<>7, pp. 1026-10 30. Schwenk, Lillian C. "Educational Research/Some Practical Considerations." Safety, Vol. V, No. 1, JanuaryFebruary, 1969, pp~ 20-22. Silvernale, Leslie R. and Whale, Malcolm D. "Does Driver Education Go For Enough?" Traffic Saf e t y , Vol. 69, No. 9, September, 1969, pp. 10-12, 40, ?2. The California Driver Fact B o o k . Sacramento: Department of Motor Vehicles, 1969. California The Driver Education Graduate in Lansing Traffic. East Lansing: Highway Traffic Safety Center, Michigan State University, 1961. (Mimeographed, no. 1621100 ). Traffic Safety— Strategies for Research and Action. ed. Hugh J. Miser. Hartford, Connecticut: TheTravelers Research Center, Inc., 1968. Types of Driver Licenses Issued by the State of Michigan. Lansing: Michigan Department of State, 1967. Waters, John M. Jr. "Emergency Medical Service Gets High Priority in Jacksonville." Traffic Safety, Vol. 69, No. 8, August, 1969, pp. 22-ifJ, 36-40, 427 What Every Driver Must K now. of state, nr?nn Lansing: Michigan Department