If you are a parent of a Connecticut teenager, you may have noticed that the
Connecticut
teen driving laws have changed considerably since you were 16. No longer can a 16 year old show up at the DMV, take a written and driving test, and go home with a license. Over the past few years
Connecticut
has supplemented the drivers manual with new laws and requirements for 16 and 17 year old drivers. The state now requires classroom time, drug and alcohol education, and almost 50 hours of supervised driving time before a
Connecticut
teen can obtain a drivers license. In addition, there are restrictions as to the time of day a teen is permitted to drive, the number of passengers he or she may have in the car, and who he or she is allowed to have in the car. The penalties for violating these laws include fines and license suspension.
How is all of this affecting our children? Statistics have shown a decrease inConnecticut car accident rates among teenage drivers since implementing these new laws. Statistics have also shown that fewer 16 and 17 year olds are getting their license, and instead waiting until age 18 in order to bypass the requirements.
Having recently attended a drivers education program I have to think that it is effective. The information presented, combined with videos and real life testimonies, made the students in this class definitely think twice about what driving a car really means.
However, experience is also a good teacher. Even though these teens put in almost 50 hours of supervised driving, they eventually have to be able to drive on their own. It is similar to going to practice, and then being asked to play in the actual game. At our
Hartford
Connecticut
car accident law firm, we are finding that this transition is more difficult than it seems.
At our Hartford Connecticut car accident law firm, we receive numerous calls each day from victims of
Connecticut
car accidents. In the past month, many of those car accident calls involved new teen drivers. The cause of the accident in most of the cases was lack of experience and familiarity with driving. In one situation a teenage driver stopped at a stop sign but then proceeded through the intersection because she thought the oncoming car had a stop sign - they did not. Another car accident case involved blinking red, and blinking yellow lights. The new driver assumed that the oncoming car had the same blinking red lights he did, when infact, the other driver had blinking yellow lights. Both accidents caused serious injuries to the parties involved.
If you have a teenage driver in your household, continue to educate them as to the seriousness of driving a motor vehicle. Share with them your personal safety driving tips again and again. By constantly promoting safe and smart driving practices our teen drivers will think on their feet and behind the wheel.
If you have questions regarding a Connecticut car accident, or the new teen driving laws, call on our Board Certified Trial Attorney at the Law Offices of McCoy & McCoy at 1-800-4-INJURY or click
here to receive a free case evaluation. We look forward to helping you.