Arizona drivers under the age of 18, like those in most other states, will face restrictions on whom they can have in their vehicles and when they can drive.
Gov. Janet Napolitano signed a bill into law May 14 that supporters say will improve safety partly by reducing distractions for teen drivers.
Championed by the Arizona Automobile Association, the bill (H2033) would generally prohibit teenagers from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. during the first six months they hold a Class G “graduated” license. Exceptions include when young drivers are accompanied by a parent or when they are driving to or from work or sanctioned school or religious activities or a family emergency.
Also during the first six months, a driver with a Class G license would be limited to one passenger under age 18 unless the passengers are siblings of the driver or the driver is accompanied by a parent. The exception for siblings was a bow to concerns that some families want teens to help handle driving responsibilities.
Violators of the driving restrictions would be subject to fines and additional time under the restrictions.
Another provision of the bill would increase the required supervised driving practice to 30 hours from the current 25, including 10 hours of night driving, up from the current five.
In addition, the bill would allow a teen to apply for an instructional permit at 15 years and 6 months, one month earlier than now. In another change regarding instructional permits, the required licensed driver riding as a front-seat passenger would have to be at least 21 years old.
The changes will take effect July 1, 2008, putting Arizona in the vast majority of other states with similar restrictions.
As of February, 44 states had some form of nighttime driving restrictions while 38 had certain passenger restrictions, according to the Washington-based AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
A 2006 study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that states with restrictions that include those in the Arizona legislation can reduce fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers by 16 percent to 21 percent. The researchers based their findings on 1994-2004 data from 43 states.
Along with the automobile association, supporters included hospitals, insurance companies and groups representing health care providers, alcohol wholesalers, police chiefs, law enforcement officers, the state Department of Public Safety and Napolitano’s Office of Highway Safety.
Some legislators who voted against the bill said it intruded on parents’ rights.