Graduated Drivers Licensing - DRIVE SMART Colorado Springs

A person under age 18 with a license for 6 months or less shall have no passenger in the vehicle under 21 years of age. A person under age 18 with a license for at least 6 months but less than one year shall have no more than one passenger in the vehicle under 21 years of age.

If a parent or guardian is in the car, or
If there is an adult passenger in the vehicle, 21 years of age or older, who has a valid license and has held a drivers license for at least one year or
If the passenger under 21 needs emergency medical assistance, or
If the passengers under 21 are members of the driver's immediate family and they are all wearing safety belts.

A person under age 18 with a license for less than one year shall not operate a motor vehicle between 12 midnight and 5 a.m.

If a parent or guardian is in the car, or
If there is an adult passenger in the vehicle, 21 years of age or older, who has a valid license and has held a drivers license for at least one year or
If driving to school or a school-authorized activity and the school doesn't provide transportation. A signed statement from the school official showing the date of the activity is required, or
If driving because of employment; driver must carry a signed statement from his/her employer verifying employment, or
If driving because of an emergency, or
If an emancipated minor

A person under age 18 shall operate a motor vehicle with no more than one passenger in the front seat of a vehicle and the number of the passengers in the back seat must not exceed the number of seat belts. All passengers with drivers under 18 must wear seat belts.

No driver who holds a temporary instruction permit or a minor's instruction permit shall use a mobile communications device (cell phone) while operating a motor vehicle.

Motor vehicle crashes are a public health issue for young adults. Motor vehicle crashes are the NUMBER ONE cause of death among young adults 16 – 20. Nearly 4,000 die each year.

Teen drivers tend to have more crashes: immaturity, exhibit risk-taking behavior, inexperienced, fail to wear seat belts. Alcohol – teens much more likely to crash with alcohol on board than older drivers with same blood alcohol content (BAC).

Teens are 4 times more likely to be involved in a crash than other drivers and 3 times more likely to die in a fatal crash. The first few months of licensure have the highest crash rate. In 2004, of the teens killed in car crashes, 65% were not wearing seat belts. 80% of teenage passenger fatalities were in a car with a teen driver. In Colorado in 2003, 145 drivers under 21 were involved in fatal traffic crashes. Of those 45% had a BAC of .02 or greater, and 38% met the legal standard for intoxication, .08.

The TWO GREATEST DANGERS FOR TEENS ARE MULITIPLE TEEN PASSENGERS AND DRIVING AT NIGHT BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

In terms of risk-taking, a National Institute of Health Study in 2005 found that the part of the brain that control risk-taking and impulsive behavior is not fully developed until age 25.

In 2005, fatalities among 16 and 17 year old drivers dropped by 50%. The decrease continues in 2006 and based upon numbers up through June, 2006, we have experienced 61% fewer 16 – 17 year old fatalities than in 2004. For 16 – 20 year olds, fatalities dropped by 14% in 2005, and 2006 currently shows an annualized drop of 42%.

Graduated Drivers Licensing for Teens