New Laws Crack Down On Teen Driving
NEIRAD enilno edition
The new teenage driving laws that went into affect on August 1st of this year are cracking down on Connecticut’s youngest drivers.
Double the driving hours; a longer driving test; and an earlier curfew are just a few of the new obstacles that are preventing teens from getting their licenses.
The decision to establish these stricter driving laws was made after the deaths of four teenage drivers in Wolcott and Windsor, Connecticut this past November. Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell and the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles responded to these tragedies by instituting tough new provisions for 16 and 17-year-old drivers. Rell sees it as a measure to “save teen lives,” but most high school students see it in a different light. For Connecticut’s teens, the new driving laws are just another hurdle they must overcome in order to obtain that coveted symbol of freedom that is their license.
Drivers-in-training should clear their schedules because these ramped-up laws require teen drivers to perform 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training accompanied by a parent or driving instructor. While 40 hours may seem like an unbearable task, some teenagers will take it with ease.
“Forty hours is not that much. I got my license before August 1st, and I still did like 50 or 60 hours of driving, even though [the DMV] only required 20,” junior Charles Spivey said. “I’m glad that I got my license before the new laws, but I’m kind of scared [about] the new laws for license suspension.”
Curfew violation and driving friends without an adult present during a teenager’s first year of licensed driving result in the suspension that concerns Spivey and many other DHS students. A first offense will result in a 30-day suspension. The second offense results in a six-month suspension, or until the offender turns 18 years of age – whichever is longer. There is also a $125 license restoration fee. It is no wonder that the Department of Motor Vehicles’ new mantra is “Teens: You Risk, You Lose.” Teenage drivers’ midnight curfew has also been moved up to 11 o’clock.
Besides the laws applying to newly-licensed teen drivers, drivers-in-training face a longer driving test, one in which they are required to drive for twice as long as the original exam. On the upside, there is no longer a written section of the drivers test, only a behind-the-wheel test. As for those who wish to get their learner’s permit, the new permit assessment is a 25-question exam –that’s 15 more questions than the previous test.
Even though they may pose an inconvenience to teenage drivers, lawmakers believe the new driving laws are certainly justified because they are meant for our safety. Teens may see it as an incommodity – others say they serve one purpose: to save our lives.
New CT State Driving Laws in Effect: August 1st, 2008
