The Missouri Legislature passed the "Graduated Driver License" law during the 1999 legislative session and established the implementation date as Jan. 1, 2001. This new law affecting youthful drivers has received much publicity, but, there are still questions being asked about many of its aspects. This article will address several of those questions.

Question #1 – What are the different types of permits and licenses called? The first permit a youthful driver will receive is called an instructional permit. (Most of us refer to this as a "learner’s" permit.) To obtain an instructional permit, a young driver must pass the written, vision, and sign recognition portions of the driver examination. Following the accumulation of at least 20 hours of practice driving during a six-month learning period, a person who is at least 16 will then be eligible for what is called an "intermediate" driver’s license. At 18 years of age, an intermediate driver will be eligible for a regular driver’s license, provided that at the time of application, the intermediate drive has no points or DWI convictions within the previous year.

Question #2 – What restrictions are placed on a young driver with an instructional permit? If the driver is 15, a parent or guardian who possess a valid driver’s license must accompany the young driver. If the driver is 16 or 17, a licensed driver 21 or older must accompany the young driver.

Questions #3 – Will 16- and 17-year-old drivers be able to transport younger brothers and sisters to activities? How about friends and peers who are teenagers? The answer is "yes" to both questions. The new law does not place age-related restrictions on transporting passengers.

Questions #4 – Does this new law unfairly discriminate against youth drivers? No. While it’s true that the new law targets youthful drivers, its purpose is not designed to unfairly restrict youthful drivers, but conversely allow even younger drivers to gain valuable practice driving time by authorizing the granting of a "learner’s" permit: at age 15 instead of 15 ?. The leading contributing cause of teenage driver accidents is lack of experience. Meaningful driving experience must not only come from behind the wheel, but from being properly supervised as well.

Questions #5 – Does the new law requiring 20 hours of supervised driving mandate the supervision come from a parent or guardian? The answer to this question depends upon the age of the youthful driver. If the driver is 15, then the supervisor of the 20 hours of driving must be from a parent or guardian. If the driver is 16 or 17, the supervision may be from any licensed driver over the age of 21 who possesses a valid driver’s license.

Questions #6 – Who must accompany the youthful driver between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 a.m.? The new law restricts a young driver who is operating on an intermediate driver’s license from driving between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m. Exemptions are provided for school, work and emergency situations. The intermediate driver may drive during the restricted hours if accompanied by another licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age. The adult driver does not have to be a parent or guardian.

Questions #7 – The new law places responsibility on the intermediate driver to make sure all occupants are properly fastened in seat belts and child restraint seats. If someone is not wearing a seat belt, who gets the ticket and what will be the offense cited? The intermediate driver’s license is valid only when all occupants are properly secured. Therefore, if anyone is not properly secured, the intermediate driver’s license is invalid. Consequently, the intermediate driver will receive a ticket for "operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license." An important point to remember is that the third conviction for this type of violation is a felony offense.

Why is this new law so important? The crash rate for 16-year-old drivers is five times higher than the crash rate for drivers over 25 years old. One in five 16-year-old drivers will become involved in a traffic crash before they complete one year of driving. Although perceived as restrictive, the new graduated license actually allows youthful drivers to begin driving at an earlier age, thereby gaining valuable driving experience. Additionally, most young drivers recognize restricting driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. as not unreasonable. Youthful drivers demonstrating responsible driving behavior will be rewarded for their efforts and receive full driving privileges at 18. Those who choose to disregard their responsibility will pay a price.

SOURCE:   Salisbury Press-Spectator, Page 2, January 25, 2001.