So you just turned 16 and the
only thing that matters in the world is DRIVING.
But, some changes in state laws could turn that green light red.
Graduated driver's licenses have been
implemented by 30 states. GDL programs require young drivers to
gain driving experience gradually over time. The GDL laws allow
young drivers to improve their driving skills and restrict
night-time driving, when most teenage driving accidents occur.
A driver's license in a typical GDL program can
be obtained by the following steps:
- Learner's permit with a minimum holding
period. Any alcohol related or traffic offense results in
revocation, and seat belts must be worn.
- Provisional or intermediate license. The
restrictions are generally the same as the learner's permit.
- Standard driver's license. This is usually
issued after a specific period of driving with no major
offenses and after a road test is passed.
Although no state has enacted all of the
recommended components, Florida's law is considered the standard
because it includes a six-month holding period for a learner's
permit and night restrictions from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for
16-year-olds and 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for 17-year-olds.
These new restrictions may seem unfair to young
drivers but there is a good reason for them. In fact, Florida's
GDL law is credited with a 26 percent reduction in night crashes
among 16-year-old drivers and a reduction of about 30 percent for
17-year-old drivers.
Other state measures aiding in the reduction of
teenage driving accidents are changes to the legal blood alcohol
content.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), all 50 states and the District of Columbia
have set lower Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels for drivers
under 21. In fact, all 50 states have also passed zero tolerance
laws prohibiting teenagers from drinking and driving. Zero
tolerance laws make it illegal for people under 21 to drive with
any amount of alcohol in their system, defined as a BAC of .02 or
less. The normal BAC level for adults is 0.08.
Several studies show conclusively that zero
tolerance laws save lives. For example, Maryland's zero tolerance
law produced an 11 percent decrease in the number of crashes
involving drinking drivers under age 21. In four other states, the
number of late night fatal crashes of young drivers dropped 34
percent after zero tolerance laws.
Nationwide, alcohol-related deaths among teens
age 15 to 20 dropped five percent from 2,324 in 1996 to 2,209 in
1997. These decreases are a direct result of the new laws.