Minnesota
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in Minnesota
In 2008, 74 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in Minnesota. Over the past five years, Minnesota crashes involving teen drivers claimed 544 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in Minnesota
The current GDL law in Minnesota includes the following components:
- A three-stage licensing system beginning at age 15 for learner’s permit, age 16, and age 17 for full licensure
- A mandatory 6 month holding period for the learner’s permit stage
- A minimum of 30 hours of supervised practice driving during the learner’s permit stage, at least 10 of which must be at night
- A prohibition on unsupervised nighttime driving between midnight and 5 a.m. for the first 6 months after licensure
- A passenger restriction prohibiting more than one passenger younger than age 20 for the first 6 months after licensure and prohibiting more than 3 passengers younger than age 20 for the next 6 months after licensure
- A prohibition on non-emergency use of cell phones during the learner’s permit stage and the first twelve months of the intermediate stage
- A prohibition on texting while driving for all drivers
These changes are needed to improve Minnesota’s GDL law and meet the requirements of the STANDUP Act
- Require age 16 for entry into the learner’s permit stage
- Extend restrictions on teen drivers through age 17
- Strengthen the prohibition on unsupervised nighttime driving by extending it for the entire intermediate stage through age 17
- Strengthen the passenger restriction to prohibit more than one non-familial passenger under the age of 21 unless a licensed driver over age 21 is in the vehicle, for the entire intermediate stage through age 17
