Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 21, 2007 NEW RULES FOR IL TEEN DRIVERS

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 website...

New law ups amount of supervision time teens need to get license

CHICAGO (AP) - It got even harder Monday for teen drivers to get their licenses in Illinois.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a new law that ups the amount of adult supervision time teens need from three months to nine - another move by the state to make sure the new motorists are ready before hitting the road alone.

Last summer, Blagojevich signed a law that immediately doubled the amount of required driving practice time teens need to 50 hours from 25.

"Practice makes perfect and that's the same thing we want to apply here," said State Rep. John D'Amico, one of the bill's chief sponsors and a football coach who likened the additional requirements to the practicing that makes student athletes better.

The governor signed the bill at a downtown Chicago high school. Freshmen at Jones Commercial Prep for orientation day pronounced the extra supervision requirements "annoying" and "a bit long" but most grudgingly acknowledged it would do them good.

"It will sort of make you safer if you're more used to driving," said 14-year-old Nathan Inserra-Musin.

And parents lauded the new rules.

"I think it's great," said Nathan's mother, Chris Inserra.

The new law, most of which takes effect in January, also moves up by an hour curfews for teen drivers to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.

It's also tougher on teens who want to joy ride with their friends. The new law prohibits teens from having more than one other unrelated teen in the car during their first year of driving, compared to the current six-month restriction.

By next summer, schools also will have to give teen drivers more practice on the roads. The law requires that starting in July 2008 teens get six hours of road training.

Secretary of State spokesman Dave Druker said it's typical for schools now to do one hour of road instruction and five hours of training in a driving simulator.

"The bill is really designed to save lives," said Secretary of State Jesse White.

Father Doug Doolittle said the additional training is good for students, especially children like his who live in Chicago, where he said potholes and narrow streets make learning to drive tougher.

He's all for the rules, even if his 14-year-old daughter, Kelsey, called them "kind of annoying."