Bill Would Restrict Errant ‘Novice’ Drivers

Tue., Jan. 26, 1999

From Staff

Newly licensed teenage motorists who get traffic tickets would find themselves banned from the road at night, under a measure that drew bipartisan support at a House hearing Monday.

The measure, aimed at better training “novice” drivers, most of whom are 16- and 17-year-olds, also would greatly beef up drivers’ education and draw parents into the task of teaching their kids the rules of the road. The bill would give parents the right to order revocation of their child’s license if they felt it was appropriate.

Noting that 16- and 17-year-old drivers are two to three times more likely to be involved in accidents than middle-aged drivers, Washington State Patrol spokesman Eric Robertson told the House Transportation Committee that the proposal “will provide the tools that are needed to reduce those collisions.”

The bill, HB1147, would apply to any “novice” driver, not just teenagers, although they make up the vast majority of beginners, officials said. A motorist would be considered a novice for the first two years after a license was issued.

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