NEWS RELEASE



For further information please contact:

Captain J. "Tim" Hull

(573) 526-6115

Q08067

August 23, 2006



EMPHASIS: Changes To Graduated Driver's License Law





Portions of Senate Bill 1001 going into effect August 28, 2006, will restrict the number of passengers Intermediate License holders may carry in their vehicle. Colonel Roger D. Stottlemyre, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol stated, “Drivers under the age of 21 accounted for 29.9 percent of all Missouri traffic crashes and 21.1 percent of all fatal Missouri crashes in 2005. We continue to lose far too many young people needlessly on our highways due to speed, driver inattention, and impaired driving.”



The new law places passenger restrictions on individuals who possess an Intermediate Driver's License. For the first six months after issuance of the Intermediate Driver's License, the holder of the license shall not operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger who is under the age of 19 who is not a member of the holder's immediate family. After the expiration of the first six months, the holder of an Intermediate Driver's License shall not operate a motor vehicle with more than three passengers who are under 19 years of age and who are not members of the holder's immediate family. The law defines “immediate family” as “brothers, sisters, stepbrothers or stepsisters of the driver, including adopted or foster children residing in the same household of the license holder”. The passenger restrictions do not apply to an Intermediate Driver’s License holder who is operating a vehicle being used in agricultural work-related activities.



The hours of behind-the-wheel instruction will also be changing. The change in the law increases the number of hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction that one must complete in order to obtain an Intermediate Driver’s License. The current law requires 20 hours of instruction while the new law requires 40 hours of instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime instruction. This requirement is effective January 1, 2007.



Under the Graduated Driver’s License law a person can obtain an Instruction Permit at age 15. The Intermediate Driver’s License can be obtained at age 16 after the applicant has completed at least six months with the Instruction Permit, and it is valid through age 17 providing the driver follows the Intermediate Driver’s License restrictions. An Under 21 Full License can be obtained at age 18.

The overall goal of the Graduated Driver’s License law is to decrease the number and severity of those crashes involving young drivers. 2005 was a deadly year on Missouri highways in which 1,257 people lost theirs lives, and 267 of those individuals were killed in young driver involved crashes. Currently, Missouri is experiencing a 17 percent decrease in fatalities when compared to the same time last year. Colonel Stottlemyre urges all motorists to continue their efforts to make our highways a safe place to travel.