Safe in 60: Graduated Driver Licenses

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Crashes are the number one killer of teens in the United States. In 1999, Utah enacted the Graduated Driver License Program to help ensure teens are taught safe driving habits from their parents.

Here are some of the big rules to remember:

• Your teen can get a Learner’s permit as early as 15 years old.
• If the new driver is under 18 years old, they must have the learner’s permit for six months before they can get a driver license.
• The front seat passenger must be a parent, guardian, driving instructor or adult who co-singed the permit application.
• The teen driver must log 40 hours of driving, including 10 hours after dark, before being eligible for a driver’s license.
• The teen will not be allowed to drive between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. for the first six months of having their driver’s license.
• No passengers except immediate family are permitted until six months after the teen receives a full license.

The Graduated Driver License Program does require more work from the teen and more involvement from parents. But the required learning helps them gain the experience to be a safer driver once they obtain the full license.

The GDL has proven successful. Since 1999, the number of teens between the ages of 15-17 killed on the road has gone down by 65 percent.

There is much more information available for both parents and teen drivers online. Here are some useful links:

http://zerofatalitiesut.com/dont-drive-stupid/parents/

https://dld.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2018/12/Driver-Handbook-2018-2019.pdf

https://zerofatalitiesut.com/dont-drive-stupid/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/utah_gdl_law.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omceyj-AA_M