Missouri
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in Missouri
In 2008, 195 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in Missouri. Over the past five years, Missouri crashes involving teen drivers claimed 1147 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in Missouri
The current GDL law in Missouri includes the following components:
- A three-stage licensing system beginning at age 15 for learner’s permit, age 16 for the intermediate stage, and age 17 years and 11 months for full licensure
- A mandatory 6 month holding period for the learner’s permit stage
- A minimum of 40 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 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. during the intermediate stage
- A passenger restriction prohibiting more than one passenger younger than age 19 for the first 6 months after licensure and prohibiting more than 3 passengers younger than age 19 for the remainder of the intermediate stage
- A prohibition on texting while driving for drivers age 21 and younger
These changes are needed to improve Missouri’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 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
- Add a prohibition on non-emergency use of cell phones and other communications devices during the learner’s permit and intermediate stages
