Teen drivers related accidents are a concern in New York hence the need to sensitize more on the rules for teen drivers.
When taking your driving classes, check your notes to ensure you conversate with all driving rules in New York.
If you can’t supervise your youngster, get a good instructor to help them get the best. Ensure the teens have a vast knowledge of traffic rules.
Let’s check the rules for teen drivers as they get behind the wheel.
Rules for Teen Drivers in New York
1. Observe Daytime Driving
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With the learner’s permit, you can drive under the supervision of a parent, guardian, or instructor, and you can only be on the road between 5 am and 9 pm. Plus, you are restricted from driving under bridges or tunnels.
If you pass your test before turning 18 years, you get the class DJ or MJ junior license that allows you to drive in upstate New York without supervision between 5 am and 9 pm. However, you can’t go to the five boroughs of New York.
2. Night-Time Driving
If you plan to drive between 9 pm and 5 am with the junior license, you are restricted to driving from your home to your employment area, where you must provide proof of employment or drive to a school course.
If you aren’t going to the above destinations between 9 pm and 5 am, ensure you have supervision from a guardian, a driving instructor, or a driver education teacher.
The person supervising your night driving must be at least 21 years old and have a valid driving license. Ensure you don’t have a passenger under 21 years unless they are your close family member, and the only person in the front seat should be your supervisor.
3. Buckle Up
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Teen drivers fall victim to forgetting to wear seat belts when driving. 56% of teens between 16 and 19 in crash-related fatalities in 2020 had no seat belts.
High school students are also victims of forgetting to wear seat belts when driving or riding in other cars.
Ensure that everyone in the vehicle has buckled up. If you have a child under the age of 4 years, ensure they are in the federally approved safety seat. If the child in the car is taller than 4.9″, you can use the seat belt.
Here’s the catch: Ensure that that’s the first thing you do after getting into your car, and gradually you will adopt the habit of buckling up.
4. Observe the Speed Limits
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Breaking speed rules is common, and most teens also fall for it, leading to increased speed-related fatalities.
When supervising your teen, ensure you correct them when they aren’t keeping the right speed limits to avoid revocation of their license when they build up their driver violation points.
Imagine losing your license after all the struggle with parallel parking because of speeding your car. Be careful to check the speed limit signs when driving.
5. Keep Off Handheld Devices
Teens are attached to their gadgets and want to reply to every message, which is dangerous to them and other drivers. Keep your phone away, and if you must answer an important call or reply to an email, you should stop.
If you are convicted of using a phone and texting when driving, you get a 120-day license or learner permit revocation. Suppose you get another conviction within six months after the suspension ends. In that case, you get a year of probationary license revocation.
6. Understand Road Signs
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In your driving lessons, ensure you master the road signs to avoid traffic tickets and fines; you must understand the differences between standing, parking, and stopping. If you come across a sign that says “No Standing,” you can stop for a few seconds when unloading or loading passengers.
The stop sign means you must come to a complete stop and not slow down. Ensure you observe the parking rules where you should avoid any reserved parking space. Remember to stop whenever you see a school bus with flashing lights.
7. Driving Under the Influence
Drugs and alcohol are common among teens; some will get behind the wheel even after a drinking spree. The blood alcohol content should be .08 percent, but for new drivers, I recommend you stop drinking and concentrate on your driving skills.
Even with the required BAC levels, teens are more likely to cause crashes than adults. Some want to show their prowess in driving under the influence, which can lead to fines and even death.
Drugs like Marijuana affect your reaction time, judgment, and motor coordination, increasing the risk of fatalities.
8. Unnecessary Honking
You will fall on the wrong side of the law when you decide to honk your car unnecessarily when driving in New York. Teens are likely to keep honking their cars when excited or feel like other drivers are moving slowly.
You can earn a $350 fine for unnecessarily honking; even without the fine, it would be best to stop it since it causes noise pollution.
Can a 17-Year-Old Drive with Passengers in New York?
When you have a junior license, you can have one passenger in your car. However, the law doesn’t allow more passengers unless they are immediate family members. If you are driving with your learner’s permit, you need an instructor to accompany you.
Can You Drive Alone at 16 in New York?
At 16, you get your learner’s permit, allowing you to drive under the supervision of your guardian or driving instructor. However, if you pass your driving test before you get to 18 years, you get a junior driver’s license that allows you to drive unsupervised upstate between 5 am and 9 pm.
Final Thoughts
As a teen, always check that you have all the requirements before going for your driving practice, and keep off drugs and alcohol that could interfere with your judgment on the road.
When consenting your teen to begin driving classes, remind them to pay attention to all road rules for a successful drive. Ensure they observe the time restrictions to avoid messing up with the law. Enroll them in a defensive driving course to build up their driving skills.