(April 4, 2000) -- Teenagers under the age of 18 are required to undergo many  steps prior to obtaining a full driver’s license. Despite the inconvenience of this new law to teenage drivers, statistics from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Automobile Club of Southern California show a significant drop in car accidents involving teenage drivers.
This new system of obtaining a driver permit and license is called graduated licensing. The goal of the graduated licensing system is to give new teenage drivers the experience needed for safer driving.

According to the CHP and the Automobile Club of Southern California, the number of crashes involving teenage drivers have dropped from 612 to 505 in 1999 compared to the year before. Also statewide, the numbers of crashes have decreased from 3,314 to 2,740.

The first step to becoming a driver is to obtain a learner’s permit. To obtain a learner’s permit you must be at least 15 years old. Also you must complete driver’s education, pass the DMV traffic law, road sign and vision tests, and pay the 15 dollar application fee. After obtaining a learner’s permit, you must complete 50 hours of driving, including 10 hours at night with an adult , complete both drivers education and training, and wait at least six months before obtaining a provisional driver license.

To get a provisional license, you must be at least 16 years old, and pass a behind-the-wheel driving test. After being issued a provisional license, there are many conditions that apply.
For the first six months, you cannot carry passengers that are under 20 years old unless a licensed driver that is 25 years or older is present. Also for the first 12 months, no driving is permitted between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed adult who is at least 25 years old.

Finally, a provisional license becomes a full license once you become 18 years old and as long as you have no outstanding DMV or court-ordered restrictions or suspensions. Also should not be on probation.

Although statistics prove the new driving law has decreased the number of accidents involving teens, some students at Clark feel that the law is too strict. “Those teenagers who take driving seriously shouldn’t face the same consequences as those who don’t, complained junior Agasi Aslanyan.