September 29, 2011

Teen drivers in Pennsylvania will be under heavier restrictions now, after a bill was passed by the State House of Representatives Wednesday. According to ABC 6 News, the bill’s sponsor, Representative Katharine Watson, said the reason for the more stringent laws is to reduce the number of teen fatalities due to crashes.

The new law states that teen drivers without a parent in the car will only be allowed to have one passenger in the vehicle under the age of 18 for the first six months. After that, they will be allowed to carry up to three.

Moving through the graduated licensing process will take a bit longer as well now, with the minimum number of driving hours required being bumped from 50 to 65. Also, the bill set new rules requiring five hours driving experience in bad weather and ten hours of night driving in order to receive a junior license.

The final changes the bill enacted make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense, which will now allow officers to pull over a vehicle driven by a minor when any occupant is unrestrained.

Many believe the changes couldn’t come soon enough after four New Jersey high school students were killed when their SUV, carrying eight teens total, rolled over on the Garden State Parkway.

The Pennsylvania Auto Accident Attorneys with Lundy Law hope this new bill will be effective in reducing the number of teen deaths on the state’s highways. If you or someone you know has been the victim of an accident that was no fault of their own, contact Lundy Law for a free initial consultation.