Safe Teen Driving Blog

A national model for Graduated Driver Licensing Programs has existed since the mid 1990s. The model provides guidelines for states to create their own GDL programs. Currently, no state follows all the guidelines, and GDL programs vary widely from state to state.

The recommended guidelines are:

Stage 1: Learner's Permit
-State sets minimum age for a learner's permit at no younger than age 16;
-Pass vision and knowledge tests, including rules of the road, signs, and signals;
-Completion of basic driver training;
-Licensed adult (who is at least 21 years old) required in the vehicle at all times;
-All occupants must wear seat belts;
-Teenage-passenger restrictions;
-Zero alcohol while driving;
-Permit is visually distinctive from other driver licenses;
-Must remain crash and conviction free for at least six months to advance to next level;
-Parental certification of 30 to 50 practice hours; and
-No use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices.

Stage 2: Intermediate (Provisional) License
-Completion of Stage 1;
-State sets minimum age of 16.5;
-Pass a behind the wheel road test;
-Completion of advanced driver education training (safe driving decision-making, risk education, etc.)
-All occupants must wear seat belts;
-Licensed adult required in the vehicle from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. (e.g., nighttime driving restriction);
-Zero alcohol while driving;
-Driver improvement actions are initiated at lower point level than for regular drivers;
-Provisional license is visually distinctive from a regular license;
-Teenage-passenger restrictions: not more than one teenage passenger for the first 12 months of intermediate license. Afterward, limit the number of teenage passengers to two until age 18;
-Must remain crash and conviction free for at least 12 consecutive months to advance to the next stage;
-Supervised practice; and
-No use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices.

Stage 3: Full Licensure
-Completion of Stage 2;
-State sets minimum age of 18 for lifting passenger and nighttime restrictions; and
-Zero alcohol while driving.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

To understand the range of differences among states, let's examine the GDL laws of four states: California, Florida, Mississippi, and North Dakota.

The NHTSA recommends that the state sets the minimum age for a learner's permit at no younger than age 16. In California, the minimum age for a learner's permit is 15 years, six months; in Florida and Mississippi, the minimum age is 15. The minimum age in North Dakota is 14.

Before getting a license or restricted license in Florida, new drivers must have a mandatory holding period of the learner's license of twelve months; the other three states require six months. In Mississippi, license applicants age 17 and older are exempt from the holding period. The NHTSA recommends an intermediate (provisional) stage with a minimum age of 16.5. The applicant must remain crash and conviction free for at least six months to advance from the learner's permit to the intermediate level. They further recommend that in the intermediate license stage, the applicant must remain crash and conviction free for at least 12 consecutive months to advance to full licensure.

The NHTSA recommends parental certification of 30 to 50 practice hours of driving in the learner’s permit stage. While California and Florida each require 50 hours, 10 of which must be at night, neither Mississippi nor North Dakota require certification of any driving practice hours.

Applicants in Mississippi must be age 15 years, six months before getting a license or restricted license. Florida, North Dakota, and California require a minimum age of 16; however, in California, license applicants who do not take driver education must wait until age 18 for a license. The NHTSA recommendation is for full licensure only after completion of the intermediate licensing stage, with a minimum age of 18 for lifting passenger and nighttime restrictions. However, North Dakota does not have any passenger or nighttime restrictions, and Florida and Mississippi have only nighttime restrictions. California's passenger restriction is that for the first 12 months, the restricted driver may have no passengers younger than 20, with limited exceptions for immediate family.

One way to improve the traffic crash figures for teenage drivers is to advocate for stronger Graduated Driver Licensing requirements in your state. In the meantime, you can reduce the risks for your own children by ensuring that they obey existing GDL laws and by implementing some of the NHTSA's guidelines into your own house rules if your state has relatively weak GDL laws.

Labels: gdl, graduated drivers license

Parents typically feel ambivalent when their teens receive their driver's licenses. They appreciate the freedom from being their teen's sole source of transportation, but they worry that their teens won't be able to handle the corresponding freedom of being behind the wheel on their own. In most states, teens' freedom is limited by Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. But many parents are unaware of these laws or, if they are aware of them, fail to implement them as house rules.

This is a mistake. Enforcing GDL laws as house rules is an excellent tool for parents, who have the support of an existing law, the need for which and the efficacy of which is fully supported by research. Enforcement of the law by the police, while somewhat irregular in some states, is a very real possibility and could result in legal consequences for the teen. This gives parents additional support from an outside source when enforcing the law in their own households.

The first step in implementing your state's GDL law is to become familiar with it. The law is typically detailed in the first or second chapter of the driver handbook. Many states post their driver handbooks online. You can also find information on GDL laws at your state's Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Public Safety website. Once you locate the information, save or bookmark it for future reference. GDL laws change as teens mature and gain experience (the "graduated" in Graduated Driver Licensing).

The next step is to help your teen understand the importance of following GDL laws. Begin a dialogue with your teen before she or he even has a learner's permit. Ask your teen to tell you why she or he thinks GDL laws exist. This helps your teen think and allows them to educate themselves about the process. Make sure your teen understands that GDL laws exist not only to protect teens from themselves, but to protect them from other teens. Your teen needs to follow GDL laws whether she or he is the driver or a passenger. Remind your teen that GDL laws become less stringent as the teen demonstrates responsible driving behavior - it's not just about having another birthday.

Next, incorporate your state's GDL laws into your house rules. For example, newly licensed drivers are typically restricted from driving during certain hours. You can ensure that your teen obeys the law by integrating these time limits into your teen's curfew.

Finally, establish penalties for violating the GDL law or receiving a traffic ticket, whether the violation is for disobeying the GDL law or another offense. Be clear about the penalties from the beginning and relate them to driving by withdrawing driving privileges or enforcing new limits on driving. Help your teen understand all the ramifications of receiving a ticket, such as points on the license, fines, insurance increases, and failure to achieve the next stage in the GDL process.

Enforcing the GDL law in your household is a valuable tool that will help ensure your teen's safety behind the wheel.

Labels: graduated drivers license, laws