teen driver broch

Safety Tips for Parents and Laws for Young Teen DriversWith tighter restrictions on teen drivers and tougher penalties, we hope teen drivers and their parents or guardians will understand the serious responsibilities that come with getting a Connecticut driver’s license.

Managing Your Teen’s Driving ExperienceThe DMV Commissioner’s Advisory Committee on Teen Safe Driving Wants Parents to Know:

• Crashes Kill Teens: Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death for 15-19 year- old teenagers. Most teen crashes occur during thefirsttwoyearsofhavingtheirlicense.The firstsixmonthsaremostdangerousforthe newly-licensed teen. Provide as much supervised practice as you can during the licensing period.

• Brain Development: Research shows that the portion of the brain that assesses risk and danger does not fully develop until the mid 20’s. Teens arerisk-takers,lackingtheexperience,judgment and maturity to recognize many potentially hazardous situations.

• Passenger Restrictions: Enforce at home the state laws on passenger restrictions. Crash risk goes up when teens drive with other teens in the car. This risk also increases with the number of passengers; whether siblings, family or friends; in the vehicle.

• Restrict Night Driving: Fatal crashes are more likely to occur at night. Young drivers are at higher risk for drowsy driving, which causes thousands of crashes each year. Enforce the state curfew.

• It’s the Law - Require Your Teen to Buckle Up: Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use. The simplest way to prevent car crash deaths andseriousinjuriesistobuckleup.

• No Drinking and Driving: Connecticut has a Zero-Tolerance Law for teens drinking and driving. Even one drink impairs a teen’s driving

ability and increases the risk of a crash. Be a good role model: Don’t drink and drive, and reinforce this message with your teens.

• Teach Your Teen About Distracted Driving: Talkingonthephoneorwithpassengers,texting, dialing radio stations, unrestrained pets and other distracting activities in the car increase the risk of a serious crash.

• Vehicle Selection Matters: Avoid having your teen drive high performance vehicles or older model vehicles that lack improved safety technologies.

• Financial Liability: Make your teen aware ofthefinancialconsequencesofacrashora citation, including higher family insurance ratesandliabilityforinjuriesordamage.

• Know Connecticut Teen Driving Laws: The teendrivinglawsareexplainedinthisbrochure. More information, including teens-talking-to- teens videos created as part of the DMV teen safe driving video contest, can be found at ct.gov/teendriving.

• Get Involved: Be a role model. Establish your ownhouseholdrulesandconsequences.Stick to them no matter the hassle you receive from your teens. Your determination could save their lives.

For Learner’s Permit HoldersRequired Tests1.Applicantsneedtopassa25-questionknowledge test to obtain a permit.2. Applicants need to pass a road skills test to obtain a license.

Training RequirementsNew permit holders need at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training before applying for their driver’s license.

New permit holders need to complete an eight-hoursafe driving course. Also, parents or legal guardiansarerequiredtocompleteatwo-hourclasswiththepermit holder concerning teen driving laws.

For Newly Licensed 16- and 17- Year -Old DriversCurfew11 p.m. to 5 a.m. - unless the teen is traveling foremployment, school, religious activities, medicalnecessity, or if the individual is an assigned driverin the Safe Ride Program.

Passenger RestrictionsDuring the first six months the newly licensed driver may not have any passengers in the vehicle except for:•Alicenseddrivinginstructor. OR•Hisorherparentsorlegalguardian,atleast one of whom holds a valid driver’s license. OR•Onepersonwhoisatleast20yearsold,hasheld a driver’s license for four or more consecutive years and whose license has not been suspended during the four years preceding the time of being transported. Parents or legal guardian may accompany the instructor.During the second six months (months seventhrough twelve) the only additional passengersallowed in the vehicle are members of the driver’s immediate family.

(Please Note: These passenger and curfew restrictions do not apply to active members of a volunteer fire company or department, a volunteer ambulance service or company, or an emergency medical service organization who are responding to an emergency call or carrying out duties as an active member, or if the individual is an assigned driver in the Safe Ride Program.)

Driver RetrainingCertain offenses will trigger participation in the driver retraining program. Anyone age 24 or younger who commits two or more moving violations or suspension violations must complete theDMV-certifieddriverretrainingprogram.After completing the operator retraining program, anyone becoming a repeat offender within 36 months faces a license suspension.

For All Learner’s Permit and 16- and 17-year-old licensed driversTheymayNOT:•Transportmorepassengersthanthenumber of seatbelts in the vehicle.•Operateanyvehiclethatrequiresapublic passenger transportation permit or a vanpool vehicle.•Useacellphone(evenifitishands-free)or other mobile electronic devices while driving.•Transportanypassengeronamotorcyclefor sixmonthsaftertheissuanceofamotorcycle endorsement.

Drivers 16 and 17 years old and each of their passengersarerequiredtowearaseatbelt.If either the driver or the passenger fails to wear the seat belt, each could be cited for a seat belt violationandfined$75.

48-Hour License Suspension for Certain Violations16- or 17-year-olds who commit certain movingviolations will have their drivers’ licenses seized by apoliceofficerandwillbesuspendedfor48hours.Inaddition,thepoliceofficerisauthorizedto remove the vehicle from the scene.

Thedriver’slicensewillbeheldforthat48-hourperiod. In order to regain possession of the licenseafterthe48-hourperiod,theteenandhisorherparent or legal guardian must go to the police department and sign a written statement acknowledging the license has been returned.

Passenger RestrictionsFor the entire time a driver holds a learner’s permit,heorshemaynothaveanypassengersexceptfor either:•Alicenseddrivinginstructorgivinginstruction and others accompanying that instructor.•Onepersonwhoisprovidinginstructionandis at least 20 years old, has held a driver’s license for four or more consecutive years and whose license has not been suspended during the four years prior to training. Parents or legal guardian may accompany the instructor.

Youthful Offender StatusSomeoneunder18whocommitsthefollowingcannot be considered a youthful offender:•Negligenthomicidewithamotorvehicle.•Evadingresponsibilityfollowinganaccident thatresultsinadeathorseriousinjury.•Drivingundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs.

Anyyouthadjudicatedasayouthfuloffenderforthefollowing offenses shall have their records disclosed to DMV for the purposes of imposing a driver’s license suspension: •Recklessdriving.•Operatingwhileundersuspension.•Evadingresponsibilityfollowinganaccident involvingpropertydamageorphysicalinjury.•Streetracing.•Disregardingapoliceofficer’ssignaltostop.

For more detailed information on the new drivinglaws, visit the DMV Center for Teen Safe Driving at ct.gov/teendriving.

Mandatory Suspensions for 16- and 17-Year-Old Drivers

Thefollowingexplainsthesuspensionviolationsfor16-and17-year-olddrivers.DMVwillsuspendthe driver’s license or learner’s permit of a 16- or 17-year-old for any conviction of violating a teen drivingrestriction,speeding,recklessdriving,streetracingorusingacellphoneortextmessagingdevice while driving.

VIOLATION 1STOFFENSE 2NDOFFENSE 3RDOFFENSE

GraduatedDriver’sLicense(GDL)violationsunder§14-36g(a)including:Passenger restrictions; Driving curfew;Operatingpublicservice vehicle or vanpool; More passengers than seat belts; Carrying passengers onamotorcyclelessthansixmonths after obtaining amotorcycle endorsement;

30-day license suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfines.

(Forall2ndandsubsequentoffenses)6-month license suspension oruntilage18,whicheverislonger;$175licenserestorationfee,courtfines.

USE OF CELL PHONE/TEXT MESSAGING§14-296aa



6-month license suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfines

SPEEDING (morethan20mphoverspeedlimit)§14-219



6-month license suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfines.

RECKLESS DRIVING§14-222(a)

6-month license suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfinesorimprisonmentof not more than 30 days, or both.

1-year suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfinesorimprisonmentof not more than one year, or both.

1-year suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfinesorimprisonmentof not more than one year, or both.

STREET RACING§14-224(c)

6-month suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfinesorimprisonmentof not more than 1 year, or both.

1-year suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfinesorimprisonmentof not more than 1 year, or both.

1-year suspension, $175licenserestorationfee,courtfinesorimprisonmentof not more than 1 year, or both.

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Safety Tips and Laws

S T A T E O F C O N N E C T I C U TRevised July 2013

Drinking and DrivingAdministrative Per Se PenaltiesThe administrative license suspension for a 16- or17-year-oldwhodrivesundertheinfluenceofalcohol will be at least one year if he or she had an elevatedbloodalcoholcontentequaltoorover.02.If the 16- or 17-year-old refuses to submit to the test, thesuspensionwillbe18months.Thislawappliesto both public roads and private property.

That Parents and Young Teen Drivers

Must Knowct.gov/teendriving

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