ALBANY -- Legislation signed by Governor Paterson strengthening the Graduated Driving Licensing Law goes into effect on Monday. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, drivers ages 16 to 24 represent 20 % of the drivers involved in crashes and 32 % if all fatalities in the years 2004 through 2006 occurred in crashes that involved young drivers.
The tougher law reduces the number of non-family passengers in the car with a teen driver to one person. It also requires teens under the age of 18 to have their learners permit for at least six months before they can get a driver’s license. And under the revised law, teens will have to increase their in car driving practice from 20 to 50 hours, with 15 at night.
Deraux Branch, owner of Branch’s Driving School in Syracuse says that is important because parents will have to sign a Department of Motor Vehicles form, certifying that their child has spent 50 hours behind the wheel. Branch says the certificate will need to be brought to the DMV the day of the teen’s road test.
To down load the certification form click here. http://www.nysdmv.com/youngerdriver/practice.htm
