The new Michigan teen driving laws take effect on March 30, 2011. The new guidelines set restrictions on the number of passengers in a vehicle driven by teens with a Level 2 license. The new laws also shorten the duration of nighttime driving hours for teen Level 2 drivers.
Driving laws have changed quite a bit since my learners permit and I was unsure of the different “levels” for teen drivers. The following is an explanation from http://www.drivinglaws.org/ : To become eligible for Driver Education Segment 2, you must have held a Level 1 Learner License for a minimum of 3 months. In addition, the teen driver must have completed 30 hours of supervised driving with 2 of the 30 hours being nighttime driving.
Driver Education Segment 2 Consists of the Following:
6 Hours of Classroom Instruction
2 Hours of Maximum Instruction per Day
The student driver must complete a total of 50 hours of logged supervised driving before they are eligible to take the Road Test. 10 of the 50 hours must be nighttime driving. When all of the criteria have been met the teen driver will receive a Segment 2 Certificate of Completion. This certificate must be presented to a Driving Skills Text Examiner prior to the Road Test (source).
The Office of Highway Safety Planning is launching a campaign to educate citizens on the new laws via the website. http://www.firstn10.com/.
The new Michigan teen driving laws requirements prohibit Level 2 license holders from having more than one, under 21-year-old passenger unless the individual is a member of the driver’s immediate family, or the driver is traveling to or from school or a school-sanctioned event. (source)
In addition, Level 2 license holders may not drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless traveling to or from employment, or accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver over 21 years old designated by a parent or legal guardian. (source)
I’ve spoken to many moms of teen drivers affected by the change with the new Michigan teen driving laws. There has been some initial confusion about the specifics of the new laws, but most are in favor of the changes to reduce teen driving distractions. Some I’ve spoken to have been concerned about how tightly the laws will be enforced and how it will affect their teen drivers car-pooling with teammates for non-school sanctioned sports practices and weekend events.
