Traffic crashes are the second leading cause of teen death in Minnesota and in other states. Parents try their best to teach their teenagers about driving safely. However, there are numerous reasons for the growing number of teen deaths when it comes to traffic crashes – teens are inexperienced behind the wheel, they don’t fully understand the dangers of their actions, and they participate in more risky behaviors behind the wheel. Most parents feel safer with their teen riding a scooter rather than driving a car as they are safer going at lower speeds. As long as they’ve looked at Helmet Hunt for a good helmet then they should be good to go. But those who have teens driving on the road will find comfort knowing that Minnesota has enacted a number of laws that are aimed at reducing risky behaviors behind the wheel and lowering the number of teens who lose their lives in traffic accidents each year. It is important that learning about safety becomes part of the learning experience. Luckily, the Right Driving School knows this. Today, we take a look at five driving laws that are often violated by teen drivers.
Teen Driving Mistakes
Here’s a quick look at five common driving violations committed by teens in Minnesota. For the sake of this blog post, we are going to look at what we call “conscious action violations.” In other words, violations that are knowingly committed as opposed to actions like accidentally rolling through a stop sign or going a few miles over the speed limit.
1. Too Many Passengers – This one only applies to teens within their first six months of having their license. Under that time, they are only allowed to have one passenger under the age of 20 in their vehicle while driving, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Any passengers who are immediate family members do not count towards the total number of passengers in the vehicle. After six months, teens can have up to three non-family passengers in the vehicle. This provision drops off after they obtain their full license one year after receiving their provisional license.
2. Driving After Curfew – This is another law put in place to reduce traffic accidents for the first six months a teen holds their license. It states that teens cannot drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. However, there are a few exceptions to the law. You can drive during those hours if you’re:
- Driving with a licensed driver age 25 or older.
- Driving between home and your place of work.
- Driving to/from home and a school event for which the school has not provided transportation.
- Driving for employment purposes.
3. Cell Phone Use and Driving – If you read yesterday’s guest blog, you know that texting and driving is a problem for all ages, but teens typically send the most texts of any age group. Minnesota law states that it is illegal for any driver under the age of 18 to use a cell phone – even if it’s in a hands-free device – when driving, unless it’s to call 911. Additionally, it is illegal for drivers of any age to send, compose or read text messages or access the internet while they are “a part of traffic,” meaning checking that text at a red light is still illegal.
4. Alcohol Violations – The legal limit for a driver over the age of 21 is 0.08, but teens are subjected to Minnesota’s “Not a Drop” Law, which states that it is illegal for them to operate a motor vehicle with any alcohol in their system. Teens will be prosecuted for an underage DUI, which can have serious license, job and college application consequences.
5. Seat Belt Violations – Statistics show that more and more people are buckling up behind the wheel, but inexperienced drivers are more likely to just hop in and drive off without their seat belt. In the event of a traffic accident, you are much more likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries if your seat belt is unbuckled. In an effort to keep everyone safe, police keep a keen eye out for unbelted motorists of all ages. If you do suffer from injuries resulting from a car accident, you may wish to seek legal assistance from someone like Personal Injury Lawyers near Houston, TX.
