Wyoming is 49th State to Pass Graduated Driver Licensing Law to Save Lives, AAA Says

WASHINGTON--March 24, 2005--Wyoming has joined forty-eight other states and the District of Columbia in enacting legislation to save lives while teenagers are learning to drive, AAA said today. Montana is currently the only state that hasn't adopted some form of a graduated licensing law.

AAA reported today on the progress of its campaign to reduce the high number of teen crashes through state graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws that require more supervised, behind-the-wheel driving experience and other restrictions before a full license is granted. Bills are pending in another 19 states strengthening passenger and night driving restrictions.

"This is a great victory for AAA and the citizens of Wyoming," said Elizabeth Vermette, AAA Director of State Relations. "These laws have a real impact on reducing crashes, injuries and deaths among both teen drivers and the public."

AAA noted that over 10 years, GDL laws could account for up to 1.5 million fewer crashes, 500,000 fewer injuries and 500 fewer deaths nationwide.

The lobbying effort by the AAA MountainWest club and other traffic safety advocates in the state to help pass this law moves AAA a step closer to achieving the goal of helping ensure passage of GDL legislation in every state. Since 1997, AAA clubs have been instrumental in passage of GDL laws in 41 out of the 49 states and the District of Columbia.

AAA's campaign calls on states to enact legislation that would require novice drivers to progress through three stages:

-- The learner's permit stage, where the novice driver practices basic driving skills and safe driving practices under totally supervised conditions for at least 50 hours (10 night time);

-- A restricted or probationary license stage that allows unsupervised driving during lower-risk times of the day with nighttime restrictions from midnight to 5 a.m. and passenger restrictions prohibiting at minimum no teen passengers for the first six months; and

-- A full, unrestricted license after the successful completion of stage two.

The Wyoming law has elements of the above AAA guidelines for GDL.

Since its launch in 1997, AAA's "Licensed to Learn" initiative has achieved key goals of raising public and member awareness of dangers associated with teen driving, encouraging states to adopt GDL laws and focusing attention on the need for improved driver education. AAA is now focused on enacting this life-saving legislation in Montana as well as strengthening existing GDL laws.