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This study followed a 2024 Washington State cohort using driving records for 2,604 teens. Among those attempting the knowledge test, 96% passed and 85% passed the skills exam. Pass and fail rates differed by sex, race, and household income; most passed both after two attempts. Results suggest safety benefits are not fully realized.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/reforming-the-driving-examination-process-evidence-gaps-and-data-needs/433510/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/reforming-the-driving-examination-process-evidence-gaps-and-data-needs/433510.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Dipper","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What did the study aim to measure in the driver examination process?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It tracked how a cohort of new drivers in Washington State progressed through the knowledge and skills examination stages, including pass versus fail outcomes across attempts.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What were the overall pass rates for the Washington State cohort?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Among teens who attempted the knowledge test, 96% passed their knowledge test, and 85% passed the skills exam. Most new drivers passed both exams after two attempts.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Which factors were associated with differences in pass and fail rates?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Pass and fail rates differed significantly by sex, race, and household income.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},433510,1791102349,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":24,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},1374404997633,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (2026), 54, S1, 15–19 doi:10.1017/jme.2026.10229  \nSymposium Articles  \nReforming the Driving Examination Process Evidence Gaps and Data Needs  \nJohnathon P. Ehsani1 , Michelle Duren1, Kerri McGowan Lowrey2, and Daniel Cooke3  \n1Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States; 2University of Maryland Baltimore Francis King Carey School of Law, United States and 3Washington Department of Licensing, United States  \nAbstract  \nEvery US state requires drivers to pass a knowledge and skills examination before obtaining their driver’s license. Surprisingly little is known about the progression of people through the examination process. To date, no research has been conducted on the proportion of individuals who pass from one stage of the driver examination process to the next compared to those who fail and are required to be reexamined. The purpose of this study was to follow the progression of a cohort of new drivers in Washington State as they advanced through the driver examination process. We reviewed driving records for 2,604 teens who started a driver education course in 2024 . Of those who attempted the knowledge test at least once,96percent passed their knowledge test and85percent passed their skills exam. There were significant differences in pass and fail rates by sex, race, and household income. The overwhelming majority of new drivers passed both the knowledge and skills exams after two attempts. The fact that teenagers have a high risk of crashing in the first year of licensure suggests that the full safety potential of the knowledge and skills exams are not being realized.  \nKeywords: driver licensing exams; behind the wheel test; knowledge test; driving  \nIntroduction  \nIn the United States, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for young people, accounting for approximately one-third of all fatalities for youth ages thirteen to nineteen.1 In2023—the mostrecent year data are available—2,148 fifteen-to twenty-year-olds died in traffic crashes, a 5 percent increase from 2022 .2 Young drivers accounted for 8.9 percent of all drivers in fatal traffic crashes in 2023 but represented only 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers in 2023 .3 Teenage drivers are not only a risk to themselves but are responsible for the largest proportion of deaths to passengers, occupants of other vehicles, and pedestrians and cyclists relative to any other age group.4 Further, injuries and deaths resulting from crashes involving a teenage driver account for an estimated $4.6 billion in lifetime medical costs and productivity losses.5  \nTo address these risks, US states require teenagers to complete three distinct but related steps. The first is driver education, which is required for teenagers below the age of eighteen in most states.6 This is typically completed before a teenager receives a permit to begin driving under supervision. The second is to progress through a graduated driver licensing (GDL) system, which introduces driving privileges in three stages: (1) Learner’s Permit—supervised driving with a licensed driver for a required number of hours; (2) Intermediate License—unsupervised driving with restrictions on  \nCorresponding author: Johnathon P. Ehsani; [Email:](Email: johnathon.ehsani@jhu.edu)[ johnathon.ehsani@jhu.edu](Email: johnathon.ehsani@jhu.edu)  \n[Cite this article:](Cite this article: J.P. Ehsani)[ J.P. Ehsani](Cite this article: J.P. Ehsani), [M. Duren](M. Duren), [K. McGowan Lowrey](K. McGowan Lowrey), [& D. Cooke](& D. Cooke).“Reforming  \nthe Driving Examination Process Evidence Gapsand Data Needs,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 54, S1 (2026): 15–19. [https://doi.org/10.1017/jme.2026.10229](https://doi.org/10.1017/jme.2026.10229)  \nnighttime driving and passengers; and (3) Full Licensure—unrestricted driving privileges.7 The third step requires passing both a knowledge and skills examination before obtaining their driver’s license. The purpose of this paper ","cbCaiqRB5SyTXRa3","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiqRB5SyTXRa3","pdf",384780,"English","# Introduction\n# Driver Examination Process and Study Purpose\n# Driver Examinations in Washington State","[{\"question\":\"What did the study aim to measure in the driver examination process?\",\"answer\":\"It tracked how a cohort of new drivers in Washington State progressed through the knowledge and skills examination stages, including pass versus fail outcomes across attempts.\"},{\"question\":\"What were the overall pass rates for the Washington State cohort?\",\"answer\":\"Among teens who attempted the knowledge test, 96% passed their knowledge test, and 85% passed the skills exam. Most new drivers passed both exams after two attempts.\"},{\"question\":\"Which factors were associated with differences in pass and fail rates?\",\"answer\":\"Pass and fail rates differed significantly by sex, race, and household income.\"}]","Reforming the Driving Examination Process - Evidence Gaps and Data Needs | PDF",1790664377,13]