Bituminous Insurance Companies
Release Date: January 27, 2010
A valid license is one of the key requirements to drive a motor vehicle as per the laws of every state. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) researched the number of drivers involved in fatal accidents that did not possess a valid license at the time of the accident.
From 1998 to 2007, there were a total of 563,135 drivers 16 and older involved in fatal crashes, at least 12 percent (69,337) of whom had invalid licenses at the time of the fatal crashes, that is 12 invalid licenses per 100 drivers involved in fatal crashes. Over the 10-year period, the number of drivers 16 and older with invalid licenses has increased by an average of 2 percent each year.
The 10-year proportion of invalid licenses was 14 percent for male drivers and 7 percent for female drivers. Both the proportion and rate for male drivers is two times higher than female drivers. Among the four age groups, the young adult drivers (defined as drivers 21 to 40 years old) had the highest 10-year proportion of invalid licenses at 17 percent, followed by the young drivers (defined as drivers 16 to 20 years old) at 16 percent, the adult drivers (defined as drivers 41 to 64 years old) at 8 percent, and the older drivers (defined as drivers 65 and older) at an average of 3 percent.
The annual proportion of invalid licenses for male drivers 16 and older in fatal crashes has increased from 13 percent in 1998 to 16 percent in 2007. This difference is a significant increase for male drivers. However, no significant change is seen in the annual proportion for female drivers, which increased from 7 percent to 8 percent in the same time interval.
From 1998 to 2007, the number of drivers 16 and older in fatal crashes with invalid licenses had a 2-percentage-point increase. However, the proportion of drivers with invalid licenses had a 3-percentage-point increase. This indicates that the increase in drivers with invalid licenses has outpaced the increase in the number of drivers involved.
The NHTSA report adds to the research base showing the need for businesses operating vehicles to assure that they do ongoing verification of the status of their employees' driver's licenses. This check can best be accomplished by noting the expiration date of a driver's license, verifying that the license is renewed when required, and checking a driver's Motor Vehicle Record, in the state where the driver is licensed, on an ongoing basis (at least annually). Requiring employee's to inform the employer of any license revocation or convictions for any moving traffic violations should be included in the employee hiring process.
The NHTSA Research Report, Trends in Fatal Crashes Among Drivers With Invalid Licenses, can be accessed at the following link: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811229.PDF.
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The information contained in this publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. ISO Services Properties, Inc., its companies and employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with either the information herein contained or the safety suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every acceptable safety procedure is contained herein or that abnormal or unusual circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional procedure.