Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

More Restrictive Law Affects Some Teenage Drivers

MIKE ROSS

STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 3

A new state law requires some teenagers to drive with adult supervision for six months before they can get an unrestricted license.

Act 25 of 1999 affects 16- and 17-year-olds who apply for a driver's license for the first time. Once they have passed the written test and the driving section of the test, they may then drive with a restricted license that requires a licensed adult to be in the car with them.

Previously, 16- and 17-year-olds could get an unrestricted license when they passed the written and driving sections of the test.

Act 25 does not change requirements for 14- and 15-year-olds who apply for a driver's license or a learner's permit. They still qualify only for licenses with an A' restriction, meaning that a licensed adult must be in the car with them. If they have a license with an A' restriction for at least six months when they are 14 or 15, they would qualify for an unrestricted license when they turn 16.

A teenager with a learner's permit still must be accompanied by a licensed adult when he or she gets behind the steering wheel of a motor vehicle. Learner's permits all have an issue date. That is the date when the state Office of Driver Services begins to count off the six months that must elapse before the teenager can get an unrestricted license.

When a teenager turns 18, the A' restriction drops off his or her driver's license. For example, if a person who is 17 years and 10 months old successfully completes the written and driving sections of the test, the teenager's license will be restricted only for the two months until his or her eighteenth birthday.

The new act has affected age waivers for teenagers, which are commonly known as hardship waivers. Hardship waivers are still available for 14- and 15-year-olds. They can drive under an unrestricted license, but only after six months of driving with a restricted license.

To qualify for the hardship waiver they must show that they cannot get an adult to drive with them at all times, and that they need to drive for reasons such as attending school or getting to and from a job.

According to the state Office of Driver Services, there are 2,613 teenagers aged 14 who have drivers' licenses in Arkansas. There are 9,797 teenagers aged 15 with drivers' licenses. The number rises sharply for 16-year-olds  there are 19,754 of them with licenses. There are 25,550 teenagers aged 17 with drivers' licenses.

One of the goals of Act 25 is to make sure that 16- and 17-year-olds get driving experience with an adult before they get an unrestricted license. Previously, teens were able to get around the learner's permit stage simply by waiting until they were 16 before applying for a license.

Earthquake Authority Board

The newly-created Earthquake Authority Board held its first meeting two weeks ago. The board's mission is to promote the availability of earthquake insurance, particularly in northeast Arkansas.

The New Madrid fault runs through the northeast quadrant of the state, and seismologists say that a major quake could occur along the fault in the near future.

The state Insurance Department reported that only 60 percent of residents in the region have earthquake insurance, and that the number of policy holders decreased last year. The major insurance companies that do business in Arkansas are represented on the board.