AAA Texas Urges the Governor to Sign the Graduated Driver Licensing Bill

    HOUSTON--May 25, 2001--The Texas State legislature has sent Governor Perry a bill that is expected to help save thousands of teens from injury and death each year. In a show of overwhelming support, the state House of Representatives voted 121 to 13 yesterday to pass the Graduated Driver License bill.
    "We applaud the action of the legislature and encourage Governor Perry to sign Senate Bill 577," said Anne O'Ryan, AAA Texas Public and Government Affairs Manager. AAA Texas and the Graduated Driver License coalition have been working with the bill sponsors, Senators Bivins, West and Ogden and Representative Driver for a Texas Graduated Driver Licensing law.
    "Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in Texas," said Anne O'Ryan. "The most dangerous activity for a Texas teen is to get behind the wheel of a car or to get in a car with another teen. Each day, 111 Texas teens are injured or killed on our roads -- and the most dangerous areas are in rural Texas where the crash rate is 20 percent higher than in the more urban areas. It's a statewide problem that requires a statewide solution."
    States that have adopted a Graduated Driver License program have experienced 19 to 35 percent reduction in teen driver crashes. To date, 44 states have some form of Graduated Driver Licensing program, Texas would become the 45th.
    "Almost all teen crashes are attributed to inexperience, poor judgement and immaturity," stated O'Ryan. "In 1999, Texas teens were involved in more than 60,000 crashes." Graduated Driver Licensing would ease teens into full driving privileges. It would extend adult supervision for those driving situations that have been proven to be high-risk for teen crashes including carrying teen passengers and late night driving.
    "We can't afford to wait another two years to address this problem -- too many Texans have been injured and killed in crashes that might have been prevented," said O'Ryan. "A Graduated Driver Licensing law will help reduce teen crashes and save lives. It will help protect our most precious and irreplaceable asset -- our youth."
    The Graduated Driver Licensing Coalition, spearheaded by AAA Texas, includes Children's Hospital Association of Texas, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Emergency Physicians, MADD, National Transportation Safety Board, Texas PTA, Texas Family Physicians and USAA. (See Bill summary following)

SB 577
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Instruction permit:
(For teens under the age of 18)

--  Extends instruction permit to a minimum of 6 months. (a)

--  Must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older who holds a valid
    driver's license.

Intermediate/ Provisional License:
For the first six months of the license:

--  Nighttime driving. No driving between 12, midnight, to 5 a.m.
    (Exceptions: school-related activities, medical emergency or
    work.)

--  Passengers. Only 1 passenger under age 21, unless the passenger is
    a family member.

--  Applies to moped or motorcycle drivers holding a restricted
    license under age 17.

Full License:

--  Age 16 upon completion of Driver's Education Course (otherwise age
    18).

--  Enrolled in high school or passed equivalency test.

--  Passed Texas State Driver License test.

Secondary Enforcement:

Police may not stop a teen driver for the sole purpose of determining
whether the driver has violated the provisions of the intermediate
license.

Effective date: Jan. 1, 2002

Bill does not impact the hardship license available
at age 15.(a)

Current Law
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Instruction permit:

--  Teen can get a license at age 16.(a)

--  Must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older who holds a valid
    driver's license.

Intermediate/ Provisional License:

N/A

Full License:

--  Age 16 upon completion of Driver's Education Course (otherwise age
    18).

--  Enrolled in high school or passed equivalency test.

--  Passed Texas State Driver's License test.

Secondary Enforcement:

N/A

Bill does not impact the hardship license available
at age 15.(a)

    AAA Texas is an affiliate of AAA (formerly the American Automobile Association), a not-for-profit federation of clubs with more than 40 million members in the US and Canada. AAA Texas serves its nearly 900,000 members through 21 statewide offices. The Club provides roadside assistance, a full service travel agency, auto-related services, legislative advocacy, and financial products.