A 2006 study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that states with limitations on teen driving practices – like those being implemented in Arizona – can reduce fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers by 16 percent to 21 percent. That research is based on data from 1994-2004 in 43 states.

On May 14th, 2007 Governor Janet Napolitano signed the Teen Driver Safety Act into law. The law will take effect on July 1st, 2008.

All 15, 16 and 17 year olds applying for driving permits or a Class G driver’s license after July 1st will have to follow these new restrictions:

• A permit may be issued to an individual who is 15 years and six months old, a change from 15 years and seven months old previously.



• Require a permit holder to be accompanied by a licensed individual who is at least 21 years old.



• Teen drivers will be restricted from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. during the first six months they hold a Class G license. Exceptions include when young drivers are accompanied by a parent or when they are driving to or from work or sanctioned school or religious activities or a family emergency.



• Limit drivers with a Class G license to one passenger under age 18 unless the passengers are siblings of the driver or the driver is accompanied by a parent.



• Increase the required supervised driving practice to 30 hours from the current 25 including 10 hours of night driving, up from the current five.

Violators of the driving restrictions would be subject to fines and additional time under the restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions
(Source: AAA Arizona)

Why does the new law target only teen drivers?
Teenage drivers make up the majority of beginning drivers, and their crash rates are particularly high. While teens make up only about 7% of the driving population, they account for nearly 14% of drivers involved in all deadly crashes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 16 year-old drivers have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.

What happens after the six month period of passenger and nighttime restrictions?
The first six months serve as an intermediate license period. If the teen driver adheres to passenger and nighttime restrictions, as well as other traffic laws, they will be granted full driving privileges at the end of the six months.
If the teen driver does not comply with the new passenger and nighttime restrictions during the first six months of holding the Class G license, they could face monetary fines and extensions on the restriction time frames.

Does the law apply to 17 and 18 year-olds that go get their licenses?
The law will apply to 17 year-olds if they do not get their license until they turn 17. The restrictions would go into effect for the first six months that the teen gets their license prior to turning 18. If they do not get their license until they are 18, the restrictions would not apply, except if they get their license late and it runs over their 18th birthday or had penalties that make it so that the time period runs over their 18th birthday.

Who is responsible for the extended driver training?
The Teen Driver Safety Act increases the hours of supervised training necessary to obtain a license from 25 to 30 hours, ten of those hours must be during nighttime driving conditions.
The additional training hours must be supervised by a parent, guardian, approved driving school or a licensed individual who is at least 21 years-old.

Shouldn’t it be a parent’s responsibility to place restrictions on their new teen drivers?
It’s important for parents to be responsible for their teenagers, and place their own rules and restrictions upon them as new drivers.
We know parents have their children’s best interest at heart but rules can vary from home to home. The Teen Driver Safety Act is a means to protect all Arizona teens and teach them to drive under the same guidelines.

Also visit http://www.aaaaz.com/news/DareToPrepare.htm for information on AAA Arizona’s free teen driving workshops. These 90-minute pre-permit presentations for parents and teens provide the information teens need to know before they take the wheel.