Education
Our vision: preparing all road users to safely navigate traffic.
Learning how to travel safely on busy roads is fundamental to preventing crashes. Traffic safety organizations across the state work together to provide safety information and training to all road users.
In North Carolina, new drivers between the ages of 15 and 18 must complete the NC Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program, which consists of driver’s education and two levels of permit restrictions preceding a full provisional license. Driver’s Education is provided in all 115 school districts in North Carolina and is available to all public, private, charter, federal and home school students enrolled in the state.
The GDL program works.
- Research has shown that “good” GDL programs (as classified by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) can reduce teen motor vehicle fatalities by 19.4% (Morrisey, Grabowski, Dee, & Campbell, 2006).
- Fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers in North Carolina declined 57% after the implementation of the GDL program in 1997 (Foss, Feaganes, and Rodgman, 2001).
The Be a PEACH Program teaches young people how to speak up if a driver is being unsafe. Using the PEACH acronym, passengers of any age can learn to advocate for their own safety when riding in a vehicle.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) offers educational programs for young people, parents, and community members to learn about the dangers of drunk and drugged driving.
The Power of You(th)
Program teaches students about the dangers of underage drinking.
The Power of Parents
Program teaches parents how to talk to their children about alcohol.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) has peer-to-peer educational programs in schools all over North Carolina.
Foss, R. D., Feaganes, J. R., & Rodgman, E. A. (2001). Initial effects of graduated driver licensing on 16-year-old driver crashes in north carolina. JAMA, 286(13), 1588-1592.
Morrisey, M. A., Grabowski, D. C., Dee, T. S., & Campbell, C. (2006). The strength of graduated drivers license programs and fatalities among teen drivers and passengers. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 38(1), 135–141.