Posted: | December 8, 2022 10:56 AM |
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From: | Representative Daniel J. Deasy |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Student Driver Sign (Formerly HB562) |
In addition to realizing the dangers associated with student drivers when teaching my own children to drive, an incident occurred in my district that prompted me to draft this legislation. A student driver was behind the wheel with her father in the passenger side. The student was traveling slowly evidently prompting anger and frustration for the driver behind them. The driver of the second vehicle began incessantly blowing the horn and tailgating this new student driver. When the student driver reached a stop sign, the father exited the vehicle to talk to the over-zealous driver behind them and a confrontation ensued. While this incident was resolved without violence, it could have ended in a totally different light. I am, therefore, introducing legislation that will create section 4538 of Title 75, requiring the creation and use of a Student Driver sign. Under my bill, a student driver must place a student driver sign on the rear of a vehicle that the student driver is operating to alert other drivers that a student driver is operating the vehicle. The Department of Transportation will produce the student driver sign; issue the student driver sign when a learner’s permit is issued to a student driver; and issue an instruction sheet for the student driver informing them of the requirement of placing the student driver sign on the rear of the vehicle that is operated by a student driver. The Department will have a parent waiver form that can be signed by a parent or guardian to waive the issuance of a new student driver sign only under the circumstance that they already hold a student driver sign from a prior student driver. The cost of the student driver sign shall be determined by the Department of Transportation and must be paid by the student driver at the same time of payment of the fee for the learner’s permit. We have all been witness to road rage incidents. The goal of this legislation is to alert drivers when they are near a student driver so that perhaps they will be more patient and proceed with caution and at a safe distance. Similar legislation has been implemented in New Jersey and studies indicate an estimated 10% reduction in vehicle accidents involving young drivers with a learner’s permit. Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation. Those that co-sponsored this bill during the 2021-2022 legislative session are as follows: DEASY, HILL-EVANS, KIRKLAND, PASHINSKI AND KENYATTA |
Introduced as HB257