Young drivers are overrepresented in road trauma and vehicle-related deaths, and there is substantial evidence for the effectiveness of graduated driver licensing (GDL) policies that minimize young drivers' exposure to high-risk driving situations. However, it is unclear what role research plays in the process of making GDL policies. To understand how research is utilized in this context, we interviewed influential GDL policy actors in Australia and the United States. We found that GDL policy actors generally believed that research evidence informed GDL policy development, but they also believed that research was used to justify politically determined policy positions that were not based on evidence. Further efforts, including more effective research dissemination strategies, are required to increase research utilization in policy.
AD - George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia. rhinchcliff@george.org.au AN - 20864713 BT - American Journal of Public Health ET - 2010/09/25 LA - eng M1 - 11 N1 - Hinchcliff, ReeceIvers, Rebecca QPoulos, RoslynSenserrick, TeresaResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tUnited StatesAmerican journal of public healthAm J Public Health. 2010 Nov;100(11):2052-8. Epub 2010 Sep 23. N2 -Young drivers are overrepresented in road trauma and vehicle-related deaths, and there is substantial evidence for the effectiveness of graduated driver licensing (GDL) policies that minimize young drivers' exposure to high-risk driving situations. However, it is unclear what role research plays in the process of making GDL policies. To understand how research is utilized in this context, we interviewed influential GDL policy actors in Australia and the United States. We found that GDL policy actors generally believed that research evidence informed GDL policy development, but they also believed that research was used to justify politically determined policy positions that were not based on evidence. Further efforts, including more effective research dissemination strategies, are required to increase research utilization in policy.
PY - 2010 SN - 1541-0048 (Electronic)0090-0036 (Linking) SP - 2052 EP - 8 T2 - American Journal of Public Health TI - Utilization of research in policymaking for graduated driver licensing VL - 100 ER -