July 29, 2009
Press Release
Community Parent Center Praises NYS Legislature for Passing Tougher Teen Driving Bill
Wendy Tepfer, Director, Community Parent Center, said she supports the New York State Legislature's passage of a new bill that would require more practice for teenage drivers and place more restrictions on them using portable electronic devices while driving.
"I applaud the efforts of the New York State Senate and Assembly for passing the bill that boosts the license requirements for teenage drivers and prohibits text messaging while driving statewide and urge Governor [David] Paterson to sign the bill into law as soon as possible," Ms. Tepfer said.
The Senate passed a version of the bill on July 16, and the Assembly version passed in June. Under the new bill, teen drivers would require 50 hours of practice behind the wheel, including 15 hours of nighttime driving. Currently, teen drivers only require 20 hours of practice driving. In addition, teen drivers would only be allowed to have only one passenger under the age of 21 and unrelated to the driver, and would be banned from using cell phones or text messaging while driving. If Governor Paterson signs the bill the texting ban would be effective as of November 1st.
The proposed bill includes the New York State Graduated Driver Licensing system, which eliminates the limited-use junior license and requires teens to hold their learner's permit for six months before they can receive their junior license. Similar Graduated Driver Licensing systems are implemented in the rest of the U.S., with each system varying from state to state.
"The Community Parent center believes that this new legislation will help to reduce the number of driving-related teen injuries and fatalities across New York State," Ms. Tepfer said. "Parents will have peace of mind knowing that their teen drivers will be better educated and better prepared for the great responsibility that comes with driving a motor vehicle."
