Pocono News Section

Bill Aims to Change Teen Driving Laws

Bill Aims to Change Teen Driving Laws - Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 5:25PM EST

MOSCOW, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- A proposed bill could change the way teenagers drive. a state lawmaker wants to limit passengers in cars driven by teenagers. The new requirements are geared to keep teen drivers safe.
Right now teens with junior licenses can have as many passengers as there are seat belts. But under this new bill, junior licensees would only be able to have one passenger in the car.

Bri Naro of Moscow is driving her friends around after school. She's 17 and has a junior license. Under a new law she would only be able to drive with one teenage passenger. "You should be able to drive with your friends, no matter what you're legal to drive," said Brianna Young.

It's a law Naro's friends don't agree with. Nicole Petrovsky said, “Once you're 18 and have all your friends you're not going to know how to react."

Jamie Naro said, "If you don't have a permit you can watch the person and learn a lot more and help them out on the road."

But AAA stats are showing a deadly trend. Over the last 10 years, more than 1,000 fatal crashes involved 16 or 17 year old drivers. Carol Rosser of AAA Wilkes-Barre said, "Things change fast when you're driving so they do need that help to protect them and their passengers."

Parents like John Parola agree there should be new rules for the teenage road. "It makes me nervous. I don't think they realize when a car is moving, just how fast and the reaction time with what's involved," he said.

Right now junior licensees can have as many passengers as there are seat belts in a car. The new requirements are in a bill that needs to be approved by the state senate and the governor to become law.

Cell phones are banned for junior licensees in this new bill too.