Bill aims to add more requirements for young drivers to obtain a license

DENVER — Last year, traffic deaths in Colorado reached their highest level since 1981.

At a press conference Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced 745 people died on Colorado roads. This is his 57% increase from 10 years ago. A record number of pedestrians and motorcyclists also died.

The press conference came on the same day that state legislators held their first public hearings on a bill that would change the requirements for young drivers to obtain a license.

Senate Bill 23-011 requires 18 and under to complete a 30-hour driver education course and 21 and under to complete a 4-hour driver awareness course.

lessons from the road

At Highlands Ranch’s Drive Safe Driving School, Senior Lead Instructor Jake Dinwiddie knows the dangers of driving.

“When used improperly, it can be a deadly weapon,” said Dinwiddie.

Driving School offers 30 hours of classroom instruction, hands-on experience, and more. Most of the people attending the class are her teenagers trying to get their learner’s permits or preparing for their driver’s license exams.

The goal of this program is to help inexperienced drivers make confident decisions and give families peace of mind.

Dinwiddie notes that roads have changed dramatically in the last decade between construction and population growth.

“The roads don’t get narrower, slower, or more complicated. They get bigger, faster, and you get more cars,” says Dinwiddie. “Laws are always changing. If you think about it, that means the vast majority of people on our streets are probably learning different things than they should be doing right now. ”

In addition to changes in road size and traffic volume, AAA regional director of public affairs Skyler McKinley said more policy decisions are being made to encourage multimodal transit options.

“The big modification to what we requested was when Colorado was a much smaller state and didn’t have all the people who lived here and interacted with bicycles and pedestrians. It hasn’t changed in a really long time,” said McKinley.

What are your current requirements?

Under current Colorado law, anyone between the ages of 15 and 15½ must complete a 30-hour driver education course, 50 hours of supervised driving and 6 hours of formal driving training before obtaining a license. must get.

To obtain a license, a 16 to 16.5 year old must complete 6 hours of driving training.

However, the requirements for obtaining a driver’s license become lower as the age increases.

“Something as serious as driving, the idea that just because the calendar turns the page, you have to assume everyone knows how to do it well enough is understandable,” Dinwiddie said. I can’t,’ he said.

On the other hand, McKinley points out that other career courses have a much higher bar for professionals to get their license, even though they’re not as dangerous as driving.

“If you want to be a barber, you have to go through 60 hours of classroom education and an apprenticeship. We are not exposed to it,” McKinley said.

How would this bill change things?

The bill adds new requirements for drivers under the age of 21 who want to obtain a license.

For 16-18 year olds, the bill requires 30 hours of driving education and 6 hours of driving training. If between the ages of 18 and 20, the bill requires her to have 30 hours of driver education or 4 hours of driver awareness course.

For those who live in rural areas without access to a driving instructor within 30 minutes, 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training turns into 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training by a parent.

The measure also provides a tax credit of $1,000 per student for the cost of these courses and training.

For the bill’s main sponsor, Senator Faith Winter (D-Westminster), it’s a common-sense solution to making our roads safer.

“Every year since 2017, the number of fatalities is increasing year by year. We have to start thinking about how to make our roads safer,” Winter said.

Winter points out that driving courses have also become more accessible over the years, with many being offered online. They are now more affordable.

“AAA offers it for $79. There is one online that offers it for $40. We are giving kids a great tool,” says Winter.

Some driver education courses offer scholarships, while others work with the Department of Social Services to help low-income families purchase the courses.

Another potential benefit: McKinley said changes in legislation could affect future premium rates.

“Colorado now has some of the fastest growing insurance in the country. is a way to start tackling this problem,” said McKinley.

However, several questions and concerns about the bill’s language and intent were raised during the bill’s first public hearing on Monday.

First, Kevin Hughes, owner of American Driving Academy, asked in his testimony whether the tax credit really needs to be as high as $1,000. Hughes said his course was offered at a much lower price, and that the American Driving Academy deliberately keeps prices low.

On the other hand, Republicans on the commission noted that rural areas do not have access to broadband, so these requirements could have an undue impact or place a greater burden on drivers in those areas.

Over the summer, both Republicans voted against the bill, despite bipartisan support from the Interim Transportation Committee. Nonetheless, the bill has passed the initial commission tests and is moving through the legislative process.