Rules of the Road for Teen Drivers

What You Need to Know Before Your Teen Gets Behind the Wheel
by Stephanie Green

For years of your child’s life, you undoubtedly spent time transporting them around for all types of outings and excursions. Remember the trips to the mall, heading over to a friend’s house or grabbing a bite to eat somewhere? It was a predictable and comfortable stage. You knew where they were and when they were leaving because you took them there. Yet, before you knew it, those years passed as quickly as your fuel tank now empties. Your kid still wants to go to those same spots, just on his or her own. You’ve got a driving teenager on your hands.
Comforting feeling gone?
     “It’s a huge step in your kid’s life,” said Cindy McNeill of North Augusta, mom totwo teenage sons. Cindy and her husband Tim have been down the road and back again when it comes to teen drivers. Their sons, Austin, 18, and Dylan, 15, each took a different approach to handling the wheel.
     “Austin jumped right in and showed a lot of confidence,” Cindy says. Therefore, “it was easier to ride with him. I actually had to make Dylan drive,” Cindy says. “He was afraid. When they first start driving, you get this weird feeling, but you get used to it.”

The Driving and Learning Curve
     Getting “used to it” seems to come with time and properly teaching your child how to legally and responsibly drive.
     “I will never forget when Austin was just beginning to drive,” Cindy says. “One particular day he was out riding with his dad. It was raining. Tim said he gave Austin the complete lecture about driving too fast on slick roads and tailgating drivers.”
     Austin heard the words but he wasn’t really listening.
    “He quickly had to slam on the brake, but somehow knew to go to the right side of the road, instead of ramming into the car in front of him. He then skidded up the side of the car,” Cindy recalls.
Austin was lucky. He followed his instincts and kept a bad situation from getting worse. “He barely missed the end of that car.”
    Today, teen drivers aren’t given the option to leave their driving skills up to chance or luck. Before they can drive, they must put in hours of practice and classroom training before being let loose on the road.
In Georgia, all teens must abide by Joshua’s Law, which states that all drivers who are 16 years old applying for a Class D driver’s license must complete an approved driver education course and complete a total of 40 hours of supervised driving, 6 hours of which must be at night, with a parent or guardian’s sworn verification that the driving requirements have been met.
    Donnell Jones, a certified driving instructor and owner of Jones Driver Education, says that the strict guidelines of the law help relay just how serious teen driving is.
    “Driving, in my opinion, is the single most dangerous thing they do on a daily basis,” he says.
    Jones offers the drivers education course as required by law and he says that he always stresses one critical point to the young and eager drivers.
    “I tell them if they don’t remember anything else, when you get behind the wheel, you’ve got to think about what you’re about to do. It only takes a second for something to go wrong,” he says.
    Cindy agrees that learning about the seriousness of driving from a source other than from a parent is a good idea. “Regardless of how much you talk to them, they still think they’re invincible because they are so young,” she adds.

Know the Rules
    According to the Georgia Department of Driving Services, any Georgia student who has not completed an approved driver education course must wait until age 17 to be eligible for a Class D driver’s license. He or she must complete a total of at least 40 hours of supervised driving, including at least 6 hours at night. The same verification in writing required for 16-year-olds, by a parent or guardian, is required.
    Georgia teens and parents should also note that students must hold a learner’s permit for one year and one day prior to being issued a Class D license.
    There are also certain times when teens can drive. In Georgia, teens cannot drive between midnight and 6 a.m.
There are even stipulations that tell who can ride with a new driver. During the first six months, teens cannot drive when any other passenger in the vehicle is not a member of the driver’s immediate family. In the second six months of earning a license, teens can’t drive when more than one other passenger in the vehicle (who is not a member of the driver's immediate family) is less than 21 years of age. After the second six-month period, students cannot drive when more than three other passengers in the vehicle (who are not members of the driver’s immediate family) are less than 21 years of age.
    Cindy says when her boys were learning to drive she developed her own rule about who could ride with whom at the advice of another parent.
    “When Austin started driving, it was a long time before I let Dylan ride with him,” she says. “I knew that Austin was an inexperienced driver and I didn’t want to take the chance of something happening and then he would have to deal with it for the rest of his life. It would have been convenient just to have the older one drive the younger one around, but I just didn’t do it.”
    In South Carolina, teens may begin driving at age 15 with a beginner’s permit. After holding the permit for 180 days they are then eligible for a conditional license.
    The conditions are similar to those required to obtain a license in Georgia. According to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, teens must complete a driver’s education course, have satisfactory school attendance and practice driving for 40 hours, 10 of which must be at night.
    The South Carolina DMV also has a special restricted license for 16 year olds. At age 17, teens that have held a beginner’s permit for 180 days are eligible for a regular driver’s license.
    For time and passenger restrictions for 15 and 16 year olds, visit, www.scdmvonline/DMVNew.
    Jones says he knows from teaching his own children and many others that “yes, it is fun to be independent, to come and go, but it’s most important to be safe.”
 

STEPHANIE GREEN is an Augusta freelance writer and mother of three.