Bill Text: CA SCR69 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Driver's licenses: instruction permits: minimum age.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [SCR69 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SCR69-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SCR 69	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Galgiani

                        MAY 27, 2015

   Relative to driver's licenses.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 69, as introduced, Galgiani. Driver's licenses: instruction
permits: minimum age.
   This measure would request the Department of Motor Vehicles to
conduct a study regarding the possible effects of reducing the
minimum age for applying for an instruction permit to drive a motor
vehicle from 15 years and 6 months of age to 15 years of age.
   Fiscal committee: yes.



   WHEREAS, Approximately 3,000 teenagers every year, or eight
teenagers every day, lose their lives in car crashes. The main cause
of these car crashes is driver inexperience; and
   WHEREAS, Teenage drivers are less able to recognize hazardous
situations and more likely than older drivers to underestimate
dangerous driving situations; and
   WHEREAS, Driving is a complex skill, one that must be practiced to
be learned well. Teenagers' lack of driving experience, together
with risk-taking behavior, puts them at heightened risk for car
crashes; and
   WHEREAS, The need for skill-building and driving supervision for
new drivers is the basis for graduated driver licensing systems.
Graduated driver licensing puts restrictions on new drivers, and
these are systematically lifted as the driver gains experience; and
   WHEREAS, Research suggests that the most comprehensive graduated
driver licensing programs are associated with reductions of 38
percent and 40 percent in fatal and injury crashes, respectively,
among 16-year-old drivers; and
   WHEREAS, In nine states, a person may be as young as 14 years of
age in order to apply for a "learner's permit" and begin driving; and

   WHEREAS, In this state, a person must be at least 15 years and six
months of age to apply for an instruction permit to drive a motor
vehicle; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Department of Motor Vehicles is
requested to conduct a study regarding the possible effects of
reducing the minimum age for applying for an instruction permit to
drive a motor vehicle from 15 years and six months of age to 15 years
of age, and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the Director of Motor Vehicles and to the author for
appropriate distribution.