Posted on 06/24/2002 9:04:11 PM PDT by chance33_98
Young Drivers Rush For Licenses as July 1 Nears
Speeding for Licenses June 21, 2002 Posted at: 4:00 p.m. CDT
by Sean Bolen
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- As the deadline for the beginning of a new graduated system for driver's licenses approaches, several young people in Arkansas are rushing to get their licenses before July 1.
Under the new Arkansas Graduated Licensing Law (Act 1694 of 2001), drivers aged 14 through 17 years of age will be issued licenses that restrict their driving privileges. For example, 14 and 15-year-olds will have to be accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older.
“This new law provides a progressive driver’s licensing program for young drivers,” says Mike Munns, Administrator of Driver Services, of the Department of Finance & Administration. “Drivers will be required to adhere to the restrictions at each level before they can move on to the next level.”
Under current law, the minimum driving age is 14. Drivers younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult with a license during their first six months of driving.
Drivers license examiners across the state have reported increases in the number of teen-agers taking driving tests. The number of tests overall administered in the first two months of this year increased by more than 36 percent over the same period last year.
The new law is part of an effort to decrease the number of traffic fatalities involving young, inexperienced drivers.
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