To Georgia Parents:
We all know the feeling of freedom and maturity that comes with the simple act of receiving our first driver's license. This privilege that the State grants to each of us comes with a great deal of responsibility to obey the motor vehicle laws as established by the General Assembly. But perhaps the greatest responsibility does not fall upon the young person actually receiving their license;
but upon the parent or guardian who first authorizes that young person to visit their local Department of Motor Vehicle Safety office.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Georgia teens. There are volumes of studies that point to the dangerous habits of just-licensed drivers due to their inexperience.
Recent years have witnessed a growing number of young drivers involved in fatal accidents. The alarming rate of increase in teenage deaths across our State has led the Governor and General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1, the Teen Driving Safely Law, which puts into statute more restrictive processes to govern teenage drivers. One requirement is designed to improve the skills of beginning drivers, before they begin driving by themselves or with their friends.
Effective January 1, 2002, after your teenager receive their driver's license you must sign a statement that they have received a certain amount of driver training and instruction. The specific requirements are listed inside. Some, or all, of this driver training can be provided by you. After your child's driver licenses are obtained they are permited to:
Drive between the hours of 6:00am - 11:00pm
Drive to thier school of atendence during normal school hours.
We at the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety feel that it is this supervised driving time with a parent or guardian that will lead our teenagers to become better drivers. To assist you in meeting the 20 or 40-hour mandatory driving time, we have provided an optional log ( Form DE-24) to help you and your teen record driving time if you choose to use it. Please see the Driving Skills Checklist (Form DE-25) that offers helpful hints on coaching your young driver. We strongly urge you to spend this quality time with your teen developing a foundation of good driving habits. It is your participation and guidance in your teenager's driving instruction that will make them a better, and more importantly, a safer driver.
