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New Legislation Would Set Federal Standards for Graduated Driver License Programs

There’s no denying the fact that states that have strict GDL (Graduated Driver License) laws in place have had better success with reducing teen accident injury and fatality rates, than states whose teen motorist laws leave much to be desired. That’s the reason California car accident attorneys will support a new piece of legislation that’s being promoted by three senators. The legislation aims to set uniform federal standards for GDL programs throughout the country.

According to USA Today, Senators Amy Klobuchar, D- Minnesota, Kirsten Gillebrandt- D-New York and Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut are sponsoring legislation that would raise the age at which motorists can get a learner’s license, from 14 or 15 years to 16 years. The bill would also raise the minimum age to get an unrestricted license to 18 years. According to the three sponsors of the bill, it is the right time to introduce a bill like this. Prom season and summer are upon us, and there will be large numbers of teen motorists driving with teenage passengers.

The bill is called the Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act (STANDUP), and would make it tougher for teen motorists to graduate from a learner’s permit to an unrestricted driver’s license. There would be a three-stage process that motorists would have to go through, before they got an unrestricted driver’s license. The bill would also ban driving at night without supervision for the first two stages of the Graduated Drive License program. It would ban nonemergency use of cell phones and other communication devices during the first two stages. As a major incentive to states, the act would withhold highway funding to those states that failed to comply with the minimum requirements of the act after two years.

Considering that everyone seems to agree that states with stricter GDL laws have lower teen accident and fatality rates, there hasn’t been widespread support for the bill. The biggest opposition comes from the National Youth Rights Association. According to the group, which promotes lowering of the minimum age for drinking as well as driving, you cannot have set federal standards for all states, because different states have different challenges that face teen motorists. For instance, motorists in rural areas may have drivers taking to driving tractors and other farm vehicles at the age of 12 or 13. Challenges facing these drivers are different from those in an urban state, like New Jersey. A single federal standard would fail to take into consideration the differences in local populations, environments and demographics.

The Governors’ Highway Safety Association has not made a stand for or against the bill, but it has said that it is concerned about the fact that many states could lose highway funding under the bill.

Success stories involving stricter GDL laws are there to see around the country. New Jersey has had great success bringing down its teen accident injury and fatality rates by passing stronger GDL laws. Other states, including Alabama, Pennsylvania and Illinois are tweaking their GDL laws too.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us at contact@robertreeveslaw.com.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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