Teen Driving Law - MN

**jmur5074** · 04-23-07, 04:36 PM

ST. PAUL (AP) — Newly licensed teen drivers already are barred from using cell phones while driving. Now they might face a curfew on late-night trips and restrictions on cramming lots of friends into their cars.

The Minnesota Senate voted 40-24 Monday to keep teenage drivers off the roads between midnight and 5 a.m. during the first six months of their provisional licenses. The curfew wouldn't cover teens on their way to work or school or in the company of an adult over age 25.

The bill would also limit passengers to one person under age 20 — not counting immediate family members — for the first six months behind the wheel. The young driver could carry up to three passengers during the second six months of driving.

Critics said families, not the government, should decide when and how teens drive.

``Kids won't be able to double-date in a car — won't be able to go to prom,'' said Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm.

Backers said similar laws in states including Wisconsin and Florida cut the number of crashes involving teens.

``Will this create some problems among some families? Yes, it will — but I tell you what. It's a lot better than that problem of the county deputy coming to your door at 2 a.m.,'' said Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing.

The House hasn't taken up the bill, but Senate negotiators are expected to make it part of conference committee talks.

http://www.winonadailynews.com/artic...kiddrivers.txt

Anyone have similar laws where you're at? I'd be happy to see this pass.

**conalabu** · 04-23-07, 04:42 PM

This is very similar to NC.

**BEK** · 04-23-07, 04:53 PM

thats neato

**conalabu** · 04-23-07, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by BEK320

thats neato

Excuse me, Bek, but the seventies called asking for their phrase back.

**dlocke1419** · 04-23-07, 05:26 PM

We have a similar law in missouri but is after 1am, I love it myself i really believe it has reduced the amount of accidents from kids late at night.

**Beans** · 04-23-07, 05:36 PM

Here in Misery teens 16-18 can not drive between 1am-5am without a parent. Now I like that cell phone part you guys in MN have. That is awesome.

Well I just saw that dlocke already explained our law. Oh well.

**Bob Loblaw** · 04-23-07, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

Critics said families, not the government, should decide when and how teens drive.

Of course...because there's no such thing as the totally douchebaggie irresponsible turd parent out there. The government has to step in when mom and dad stop giving a shit. idiots.

**jmur5074** · 04-23-07, 07:00 PM

Yeah Beansie, it's a nice law.

And what's even better, it's a "primary offense" so we can stop someone who is talking on a cell phone and "appears to be under the age of 18." Of course if they are 18+, no enforcement action can be taken, as it only applies to provisional license holders (less than 18 yoa)

**Pudge** · 04-23-07, 07:13 PM

We just went to something similar here in Ohio. I haven't totally looked it over yet, but I believe its only a secondary offense here. No big deal really, there's tons of equipment violations to stop for.

**Jackalope** · 04-23-07, 11:19 PM

Oregon has been doing a similar thing for several years. I think I read somewhere that the fatality rate for teen drivers has been declining since the law was passed.

I think it's a step in the right direction, but what I'd really like to see is tougher standards for passing drivers tests. When I got my license, it was a 15-minute cruise around the block. I was one point short of a perfect score. The scary thing is that most of my classmates that tested at that particular DMV failed their tests. They all went to another DMV which apparently had even lower standards.

**Autumn2009** · 04-24-07, 07:58 PM

When I got my license for the first couple months I could only drive between certain times. We never had the certain number of people in the car thing though, which I'm glad because that would have been a pain in the butt, and probably would have deemed my driving pretty useless.

Michigan I think has a lot of things we do wrong but I think their licensing system is pretty detailed. As it's the graduated licensing system and I would have thought when I was going through it I was certifying to fly a fighter jet and not just a car.

**BEK** · 05-18-07, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

Critics said families, not the government, should decide when and how teens drive.

I just read that and these are the same critics that say driving is a right.... Families cant control their kids in their own house

**gozling** · 05-18-07, 05:10 PM

wish we had this here.
I stopped a car yesturday after school with 12 kids in it... in the back seat they were laying down ontop of eachother and I saw 4 feet out one side and 4 feet out the other side of the rear windows...
one was standing, well crouched up with his torso out of the sunroof
they were doing about 45mph down a main road...
unreal.
I have them stopped and another car pretty similar goes by me and they beep LOL... grrr