Youthful Driver

House Bill 343 - Youthful Driver Restrictions Bill Signed by Governor Taft Prior to Leaving Office

In December, 2006 the Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 343 to place additional restrictions on drivers under the age of 18 who hold either probationary licenses or temporary instruction permits. The bill was signed into law by Governor Taft prior to the end of his term.

Specifically, House Bill 343 prohibits the holder of a temporary instruction permit who is under the age of 18 from driving between midnight and 6 a.m. and the holder of a probationary driver's license, who is between 16 and 17 years of age, from driving between midnight and 6 a.m. Individuals between 17 and 18 years of age who hold a probationary driver's license are also prohibited from driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Holders of a probationary driver's license under the age of 17 are no longer permitted to drive with more than one person who is not a family member, unless the family member is the license holder's parent, guardian, or custodian. Drivers in this category who commit a moving violation during the first six months of receiving their probationary license must be accompanied by their parent or guardian whenever they are driving for six months from the date on which they plead guilty to the violation or until they turn 17.

House Bill 343 also requires children between the ages of four and 15 to be restrained either in an approved child restraint system or in a seat belt and eliminates the nonresident exemption in the child restraint law.

http://www.highwaysafetyoffice.ohio.gov

A Word to Teenage Drivers

The long awaited day has finally arrived - you have obtained your driver's license. This is your first step toward recognition as a young adult. What will this mean to you? . . .

Getting your license-what does it mean?

The choice is yours. The difference lies in acting responsibly. Demonstrating your responsibility

A responsible person is one who is dependable, reliable and trustworthy. How does this apply to driving?

• Don't mix drugs and/or alcohol with driving. Half of all auto deaths are alcohol related.
• Don't lend your car to others.
• Don't transport more passengers than there are seat belts, and don't drive until everyone has buckled up.
• Drive defensively. Always anticipate what others will do and be prepared.
• Concentrate on your driving. Don't let your friends distract you.

Driving responsibly can reduce your insurance costs.

Insurance for young drivers is more expensive than for any other age class. Why? According to a National Safety Council study, drivers under age 25 made up 14.7% of all drivers on the road yet were involved in 28.4% of all accidents reported in the same year and 26.9% of fatal accidents.

Drivers under age 20 had 13.2% of all reported accidents. Drivers age 20-24 were involved in 15.2% of all accidents.

While some of this can be attributed to inexperience, irresponsible driving is the key factor.

Here are some ways you can keep your costs down:

• Obey all traffic laws in your area-the more tickets you get, the higher your premium. Avoid situations that may lead to accidents. Involvement in just one accident will increase your premium.
• Choose higher comprehensive and collision deductibles.
• Drive a standard vehicle-sports cars and other high performance vehicles guarantee higher premiums.
• Driving responsibly not only saves lives, it saves you money. Don't wait until it's too late!

Unfortunately, many young people do not realize the importance of responsible driving until it's too late and a tragedy occurs. Remember, the driving habits you develop now will remain with you forever.

Glossary of insurance terms

The following terms are commonly used in insurance. You should become familiar with them so you will understand what coverages you need to purchase.

• Bodily Injury Liability (BI) protects you against damages for which you may be held legally liable it' your car injures or kills someone.
• Property Damage Liability (PD) protects you against damages for which you may be held legally liable if your car damages the property of' others.
•  Medical Payments Coverage (Med Pay) pays for medical or funeral expenses for you and others injured or killed while riding in your car regardless of who is at fault.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) pays for damages caused by bodily injury to you and your family when the damages are the fault of another driver who has no bodily injury insurance.
• Comprehensive Coverage (Comp) pays for loss to your car caused by accidents other than collision or upset; e.g., theft, fire, vandalism. Some companies refer to this as other than collision coverage (OTC).
• Collision Coverage pays for loss to your car caused by upset or collision with another vehicle or object.