Jesse White - Illinois Secretary of State

By Louise Brass

Teen driver Michael Smith of Plainfield logs some driving time with his father, Gregory Smith. A new state law requires that teens get twice as much practice time driving before applying for a license.|Teen driver Michael Smith of Plainfield logs some driving time with his father, Gregory Smith. A new state law requires that teens get twice as much practice time driving before applying for a license.

Teens sitting behind the steering wheel of a car can mean more than a few nervous moments for parents. Sometimes an unprepared young person's driving abilities can be fatal to themselves or those in an oncoming car. Illinois governmental leaders, realizing this, took a recent step requiring new drivers to be twice as much prepared before they first sit behind that car steering wheel alone.
Teenagers must now drive a minimum of 50 hours with a parent or a responsible adult 21 years old or older in the car, instead of 25 hours, before a license can be issued.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed House Bill 4768, which was initiated by Secretary of State Jesse White, State Rep. John D'Amico and State Sen. John Cullerton, into law on June 22. The law takes effect immediately and makes Illinois the nineteenth state to require the extra hours.

The new law also requires that parents sign a consent form in person at a Secretary of State Driver Services facility or the teen bring a signed and notarized form if the parent cannot accompany the teen to the driving exam before the teen may apply for a driver's license.

Michael Smith, 17, a Plainfield South High School student, said it was frustrating to learn a new law will require double the practice time before teens can get their driver's licenses. But he understands the need.

"It's frustrating because it's been 25 hours, and now they require 50 hours. But I understand. A cousin of my good friend died. I don't want to be like that person. I don't want to put my family through that," he said.

And his family should know. Michael's father is Sgt. Gregory Smith of the Lemont Police Department. He said the new law should help keep teens - and everyone else - safer on the roads.

Any teen who obtained a permit before the law went into effect June 22 will be required to complete only 25 practice hours with a parent or other adult before becoming eligible to receive a driver's license, according to White.

Sgt. Gregory Smith, a resident of Plainfield, said that he was relieved to hear about the new law.
"Speaking as a parent, my son's going through that right now. He could have had his license 10 months ago. He turned 17 in December," Smith said. "I think the new law is good, especially for males who can mature at a different rate then females."

In the Lemont area there have been no recent fatalities involving teenage drivers. But the Plainfield area has had recent tragedies, including the death of a teenage driver whose car overturned June 14 on Meadow Lane.

"Defensive driving means that even if you're doing everything right, you still have to worry about everyone else on the road," said the governor in a news release. "And there's probably no group of drivers on the road that worry the rest of us more than teenage drivers."

In 2004, 3,620 drivers aged 15 to 20 years old were killed and an additional 303,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes nationally, according to figures released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Young drivers are twice as likely as adult drivers to be in a fatal crash, according to the statistics provided by the federal government.

"This is a common sense approach to ensure that young people become better trained, more experienced drivers. It should help reduce the number of crashes that tragically injure and kill too many of our young drivers each year," D'Amico said about the new law.

According to the safety administration, factors contributing to the higher crash level include lack of driving experience and inadequate driving skills; excessive driving during nighttime, which are higher-risk hours; risk-taking behavior; poor driving judgment and decision making; drinking and driving; and distractions from teenage passengers.

In Bolingbrook, the police have welcomed the new rules.

"We applaud any increase in training required before teens get their license," said Bolingbrook Police Chief Ray McGury. "Studies show that a lack of experience behind the wheel is often times a contributing factor in vehicle crashes. There is no real substitute for quality training and practice.
"That being said, 50, 100, 150 hours is a moot point if parents are not responsible enough to hold their children to this standard."