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Michigan Senate OKs restrictions on young drivers

Work will not officially wrap up at the Michigan statehouse until the end of the year. Lawmakers are trying to take advantage of that time to get their bills through the statehouse. One bill that could beat the clock is intended to make the state’s roadways safer by putting limits on novice drivers.

The House voted 79-19 to advance to the Senate a bill that would tweak the state’s 14-year-old graduated driver licensing law. The law affecting young drivers has three stages, which include a learner’s permit, intermediate license and regular license.

Sponsored by Rep. Richard LeBlanc, D-Westland, the bill would focus on drivers age 17 and younger. It would make changes to nighttime driving and passenger restrictions.

Currently, affected drivers must be off the roads between midnight and 5 a.m., unless accompanied by an adult, traveling back and forth to work or between home and school. The bill would move up by two hours to 10 p.m. the time that they must park their vehicles.

Also, young drivers would be forbidden from having more than one non-family member under the age of 21 in the vehicle for the first six months behind the wheel, unless accompanied by an adult or traveling back and forth between home and school.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently identified passenger limits for teen drivers as one of the rules that states need to adopt to help eliminate distractions for young drivers. Michigan law now doesn’t include any passenger restrictions.

A cell phone ban, which is also identified by the NTSB, was removed from the bill before it came up for a House floor vote.

Critics say the passenger restriction is too rigid. Others gripe that the curfew restrictions are too stringent.

Advocates say the changes are aimed at minimizing distractions by tightening regulations.

“Young drivers need to concentrate on learning the skills of being a good driver,” Rep. Matt Lori, R-Constantine, said in a recent statement. “They don’t need to be distracted by all their friends messing around in the car, and they certainly don’t need to be using a cell phone.”

The bill – HB4493 – is awaiting assignment to committee in the Senate. It must advance through the chamber before the Legislature finishes up their work in December.

To view other legislative activities of interest for Michigan, click here .

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