Traffic Safety Impact of the Extension of Driver Licenses by Mail for Renewal Applicants with Clean Prior Driving Records

摘要

Drivers under the age of 70 whose prior four-year accident and conviction records showed no entries when examined two months prior to the date of the expiration of their driver licenses were randomly assigned to either a group which renewed licenses in the normal manner or a group which was offered the opportunity to receive a four-year license extension by mail. A related experiment involved comparing clean-record drivers given a two-year extension with a group required to renew in person. There was no evidence that extending licenses by mail adversely affected accidents or convictions during the period 18 months subsequent to the date on which renewal or extension notices were sent.