|
Several States Considering Improvements to Their Graduated Driver Licensing Laws
As the 2010 legislative sessions get underway across the states, some states are considering legislation that would improve their teen driving laws, including these:
- Vermont - House Bill 494 would restrict nighttime driving (between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.) for drivers with a "junior operator" license.
- South Carolina - Senate Bill 909 would require that any person who gets a learner's permit while younger than age 16 would have to wait at least 365 days (rather than the current requirement of 180 days) before they would be eligible for a driver license.
- Pennsylvania - House Bill 67 would create a passenger restriction for drivers with a "junior" driver license (no more than one unrelated passenger under age 18), increase the number of supervised driving hours required to obtain a driver license (from 50 hours to 65 hours), and create a ban on use of "interactive wireless communication devices" (including use of cell phones and texting) for drivers with learner permits or junior driver licenses. This bill has passed in the House and is now going to the Senate.
Distracted Driving Legislation Gains Momentum with State Lawmakers
According to USA Today, 23 states are currently debating legislation to address texting while driving. There are already laws prohibiting texting while driving in 19 states. Click here to read the whole article. |
|
More Teens Waiting to Get Their Driver Licenses
According to an article in the January 24 Washington Post, more teens are waiting to get a driver license. According to data from the Federal Highway Administration, 30.7% of 16-year-olds got their licenses in 2008, compared with 44.7% in 1988. Among the reasons suggested for this trend are stronger Graduated Driver Licensing laws; a decline in driver training in public schools; and the cost of gas and insurance.
|
