Sound Off: Stronger Laws for Teen Drivers to Soon Take Effect

Tuesday will be an important day for area teens -- especially those hoping to nab a driver's license.

Pennsylvania’s new law aimed at increasing safety for young drivers will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. that day.

The new law adds 15 hours of supervised, behind-the-wheel training for driver’s license permit holders younger than 18, bringing the total to 65 hours.

Ten of the additional hours must include driving at night, and five hours must occur during poor weather conditions. Current permit-holders younger than 18 who have not yet passed the driving skills test before Saturday will have to meet the requirements of the new law.

The law also mandates that drivers younger than 18 will not be permitted to have more than one passenger younger than 18 and who is not an immediate family member unless a parent or legal guardian is in the vehicle.

After six months, the junior driver may transport as many as three passengers younger than 18 who are not immediate family members without a parent or legal guardian present but only if that driver has not been convicted of a driving violation or has not been partially or fully responsible for a reportable crash.

The law also requires junior drivers and passengers younger than 18 to wear a seat belt. Children younger than 8 must be in a child-restraint system.

The seat belt provisions of the new law are primary offenses, meaning a driver may be stopped and cited solely for that violation. 

More information about the changes for teen drivers can be found here by clicking on the “New Teen Driver Law 2011” button.

For more information about young-driver safety, visit PennDOT’s highway safety Web site, and select the “Young Driver” link under the Traffic Safety Information Center.