Restrictions Aim to Make Teenage Drivers in Connecticut Safer

Article provided by Williams, Walsh, and O'Connor, LLC

Beginning October 1st, 2009, first-time drivers in Connecticut will face new requirements to receive their driver's licenses, including a second driving test. These new requirements mark a departure from laws passed in 2008, which eliminated a test taken prior to licensure in favor of more time behind the wheel.

Lawmakers eliminated the second written test in an attempt to emphasize actual driving skills instead of the hypothetical situations posed by tests. Driving instructors discovered, however, that many students simply did not take their classes as seriously without the impending exam. Instructors worried that teens would not adequately understand the rules of the road and, having no test to study for, would be less inclined to try.

So, legislators brought the test back.

Prospective teen drivers in Connecticut now face two exams. Students must first pass a 25-question test prior to receiving a learner's permit. The second, reinstated exam is now required before a teen driver's final driving test with an agent from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Focus on Safety

Driver safety has been a main focus of Connecticut lawmakers in recent years. Since 2002, Connecticut has significantly upped restrictions on teenage drivers in an effort to curb driving fatalities.

Before they apply for their driver's licenses, teenagers in Connecticut must have had their learner's permits for at least six months and must have completed at least 40 hours of supervised driving practice. 16- and 17-year-old drivers may only transport their parents or a supervising adult over 20-years-old for the first three months after receiving their licenses and are not allowed on the road between midnight and 5:00am.

More Restrictions Possible

Even with the number of restrictions on teen drivers, some feel that more could be done to prevent fatal crashes. In April of this year, representatives from New York, Delaware and Maryland sponsored a bill that would create three tiers of licensing for teen drivers, beginning with a learner's permit, moving on to a restricted intermediate license, and ending with full licensure.

Under the proposed rules, teens would not be able to receive full licensure until the age of 18. Drivers within the first two tiers would be subject to more restrictions -- not unlike those already endured by 16-year-olds driving with permits.