A new state law allows 15-year-olds to apply for a driver’s permit and, if they pass vision and written tests, get behind the wheel. Lori Weaver Hawkins is the public affairs manager for Triple-A Bluegrass. She said parents need to decide if their 15-year-old is responsible enough to drive and if they’re willing to commit to supervising them.
“They need to be sure that their teen gets those minimum of 60 hours behind the wheel, including some nighttime hours – that takes dedication on the parent’s part.”
Weaver Hawkins said in Kentucky over the last three years, there’ve been 47,000 crashes involving teen drivers, resulting in more than 13,000 injuries and 210 deaths. She said teens are more likely to speed and engage in distracted driving – and parents need to set good examples.
“When adults are on their phone and texting and that sort of distraction, the kids are taking that in. So you can't be modeling bad driving behaviors, and then tell your teen, ‘Well, don't look at your phone while you're driving.’”
House Bill 15 requires that parents or guardians approve their 15-year-old’s request for a permit. Also, 15-year-old drivers must be accompanied by a licensed driver over the age of 21, they can have only one unrelated passenger under the age of 20 and they can’t drive between midnight and 6 a.m.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
