Rep. Kenneth J. Smith
112th Legislative District
Lackawanna County
Teen driving rules strengthened

Effective Dec. 27, there are new rules for teen drivers in Pennsylvania. These new regulations are designed to make sure teens who get behind the wheel have more experience, are less distracted and are safer drivers – and less likely to injure or kill themselves or someone else on the road.

The new rules are contained in a law I helped to pass in October. They include:


  • For the first six months after receiving a junior license, drivers under 18 are not permitted to have more than 1 passenger under 18 who is not an immediate family member, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. After six months without a violation or accident, drivers under 18 may have up to three passengers under 18.
  • Permit holders under 18 must have 65 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel training (up from 50 hours). At least 10 hours of training must be nighttime driving, and five must be spent driving in poor weather conditions.
  • Seatbelt violations for drivers and passengers under 18 are changed to a primary offense, which means the driver can be pulled over solely for that violation. The fine for conviction is $75.

The new law also requires PennDOT to prepare a biannual report for the public with information on crashes involving teen drivers, including the number of passengers in the vehicle and details on seatbelt use.

In just one year - from 2009 to 2010 - fatalities in crashes that involved teen drivers increased 43 percent in Pennsylvania. I believe the new law will improve safety on the road, and reduce injuries and fatalities in vehicle crashes, for teen drivers and all drivers in Pennsylvania.

You can find more information on the new teen driver law and Pennsylvania's requirements for teen drivers on PennDOT’s website at www.dot.state.pa.us.