As you know, I have been working with a bi-partisan group of legislators that is pushing for reform of our teen driving laws. Although I devoted a recent column to this effort, I wanted to update you on how our legislation is progressing. I believe that there is a good chance that a teen driving reform bill will be enacted by the General Assembly before we adjourn on Wednesday, May 7.
A number of different teen driving proposals were submitted when this session of the General Assembly began in early February. These include the legislation that I submitted with Representative John “Corky” Mazurek. In addition, the legislature has been considering recommendations made by Governor Rell’s Teen Safe Driving Task Force as well as other legislators. Many of these measures have been included in HB 5748, An Act Concerning Teenage Drivers, which is becoming the primary teen driving reform bill that I believe the General Assembly will act on this year. To date, this bill has been approved by the legislature’s Transportation and Judiciary Committees. I voted for the bill when it came before the Judiciary Committee, and I am also a co-sponsor of the legislation.
In general, there seems to be two schools of thought on how best to address teen driver safety issues. One is calling for an increase in the driving age from 16 to 17 or 18. Supporters of this approach often cite scientific and other related literature which shows that a 16 year old person’s brain is still developing, and that giving teens more time to develop in this regard will help keep them and others safer. The other approach is to use various restrictions as a way of keeping teen drivers and others who share the road with them, safer. The proposed legislation reflects this second school of thought.
Briefly, these are highlights of the current version of the teen driving reform bill:
- Extend each of the passenger restrictions imposed on newly licensed 16- and 17-year old drivers from three months to six months, and extend the second phase of passenger restrictions from six months until one year after first obtaining a license.
- If a police officer issues an infraction for violating passenger and other restrictions, the police officer may immediately take the teen driver’s license, which may be suspended for 48 hours. Teens must be accompanied to the police station by a parent or guardian and sign a written acknowledgement in order to retrieve their licenses.
- Licenses of 16- or 17-year old drivers who exceed the posted speed limit by 20 miles per hour, operate under the influence, race, or drive recklessly will be suspended for 48 hours. A parent or guardian must accompany them to retrieve the license.
- Permits the state Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner to impose a 30-day suspension for any violations of teen driving restrictions - and permits the commissioner to increase the suspensions to six months or age 18, whichever is longer, for subsequent violations.
- Require that 16- and 17-year old drivers be off the streets between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. – instead of between midnight and 5 a.m.
- Require that all passengers in vehicles driven by 16- and 17-year olds wear seatbelts. Existing law simply prohibits these young drivers from carrying more passengers than the number of seatbelts in the car.
- Increase “behind the wheel” hours for teens with learners’ permits from 20 hours to 40 hours. Amend teen driving courses to include two hours of instruction on statutory provisions relating to teen drivers, the dangers of teen drivers, and liabilities of parents of teen drivers. Require parent or guardian to attend two hours of instruction on the laws applying to teen drivers.
- Increase the penalties for 16 and 17 year old drivers who are caught driving while intoxicated or who refuse to take a breathalyzer test.
I received a lot of feedback from people in response to my last column on teen driving. Many people were supportive but others questioned whether these types of restrictions are enforceable. If they are not enforceable then they are less useful in serving their intended purpose. I understand that concern. However, I believe that these types of restrictions are the only way we can reasonably try to help address the teen driver safety issue short of raising the driving age. Some of the comments I received noted that parents should play a greater role in keeping their teen drivers safe. I agree and hope that the requirement that parents attend two hours of their teen’s driver education will help better inform parents on the pertinent restrictions so that they can help to enforce them within their families.
As always, I value and benefit from your feedback. I hope to continue to hear from you on this and other issues. Please feel free to contact me at legislative office at 860-240-8800, or via e-mail at Sam.Caligiuri@cga.ct.gov.
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