License law catches 66 teens since start
Some violations involve kids driving past 11 p.m. without proper supervision
Since its implementation last year, the new provisional driver's license law has nabbed 66 teenage drivers statewide.
The law, sometimes called the graduated driver's license law, places restrictions on teen driving and hopes to curb youth-related accidents. It was passed in 2005 and went into effect Jan. 9, 2006.
It's The Law
Under the state's provisional driver's license law...
» Drivers ages 15 1/2 to 16 cannot drive unless a licensed driver, age 21 or older, is seated in the front passenger seat.
» Drivers under 18 with a provisional license cannot drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless a parent or guardian with a valid license is seated in the front passenger seat, or unless they have a signed statement stating they are driving to or from work or a school function.
» Provisional drivers under 18 also cannot have more than one passenger under 18 who is not a household member, unless a parent or guardian is also in the car.
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Some of the violations involved teenagers who were driving with more than one person under 18, or driving past 11 p.m. without a licensed parent or guardian.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There were 21 deaths involving young drivers in 2005. No data on 2006 accidents involving young drivers is available yet.
"I haven't seen any figures, as well," said Carol McNamee, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Hawaii. "But it's going to be very hard to assess because we're such a small state. Any up and down trends won't be known for a very long time."
McNamee said she hopes teen accidents will trend downward; however, she sees possible loopholes in the law. Teenagers are required to have a note authorizing them to drive for work or school-related activities after 11 p.m.
"Teens can be very clever about that," McNamee said. "It's something that can be abused."
Police cannot stop teenage drivers suspected of violating the law based on looks because it would be profiling, said Capt. Evan Ching, of the Honolulu Police Department's traffic division.
"We don't actively look for these type of violations," Ching said. "These are all byproducts for an initial traffic stop. Until we stop them for another infraction, we can't pursue it."
Ching said the law is meant to deter the chances of teenagers getting into accidents. It also minimizes risk for other, more experienced drivers.
"If you gotta take a family member after 11, it's a different and safer situation than taking in all your peers and say, 'Hey let's go cruising,'" Ching said.
The law sunsets, or is automatically repealed, in 2011. McNamee said she hopes that gives state officials enough time to determine whether the law helped.
Parents of soon-to-be drivers are grateful that the law reins in teenage driving activity. Aviva Nathan, a 32-year-old Kahala guardian to a teenager, is not kidding herself. She knows what teens are up to.
"When I was 15 or 16, I was not very responsible myself," Nathan said. "I know how teens act, because I was one and I wasn't making very good decisions."
Her ward, 15-year-old Dani Abe, said she feels the law is too restrictive and that it is unfair since older generations were able to drive without restrictions at 16.
Nathan said she understands her frustrations, but said teenagers should be reined in anyway because of how dangerous vehicles can be.
"They can drive at 16, but they can't do something as simple as voting until they're 18," Nathan said. "It's almost backwards in a way."
Tia Haworth, 15, of Kailua said she would be under the watchful eye of her mother, Edmee Haworth, so she will be following the law.
"I guess I'll just have to take it step by step," she said.
It might be more convenient if her daughter were able to run errands by herself, but Edmee Haworth said she is glad the law is there to protect Tia and other teens.
"I know very well she'll be following the law," Haworth said recently at the Kalihi motor vehicle division. "If we felt she wasn't worthy of our trust, we wouldn't be here applying for her license."
