North Dakota Pushes for Graduated Driver’s License Law

Several North Dakota agencies have joined forces to support a bill aimed at reducing teen traffic accidents and deaths. The North Dakota Department of Insurance, North Dakota Coalition for Graduated Drivers Licensing, including the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the North Dakota Department of Health and AAA North Dakota all have expressed support for the graduated driver’s license (GDL) bill, which will be presented to the 62nd Legislative Assembly in 2011

The bill recommends three phases of licensing for new drivers. North Dakota currently has only two phases-a learner’s permit and a driver’s license-and is the only state in the nation without a GDL system. The additional phase, intermediate, includes conditions on the number of passengers, cell phone use and nighttime recreational driving during the first few months of unsupervised driving.

“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths in North Dakota,” said Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm. “This bill aims to reduce the three greatest risks for young drivers-inexperience, distractions and late night driving.”

“Other states have seen as much as a 39 percent decrease in teen crashes after implementing graduated licensing concepts. By making a few simple, yet effective, changes to our licensing system, we stand to significantly reduce the number of car crashes on North Dakota roads,” said Gene LaDoucer, AAA North Dakota director of public affairs.

Topics Personal Auto