Washington
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in Washington
In 2008, 77 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in Washington. Over the past five years, Washington crashes involving teen drivers claimed 547 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in Washington
The current GDL law in Washington 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 for full licensure
- A mandatory 6 month holding period for the learner’s permit stage
- A minimum of 50 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 (secondary enforcement)
- A passenger restriction prohibiting passengers younger than age 20 for the first six months after licensure and prohibiting more than three passengers younger than age 20 for the next six months after licensure (secondary enforcement)
- A prohibition on non-emergency use of hand-held cell phones and other communications devices for drivers of all ages (secondary enforcement)
These changes are needed to improve Washington’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
