District of Columbia
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in District of Columbia
In 2007, 6 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in District of Columbia. In the five years from 2003 through 2007, District of Columbia crashes involving teen drivers claimed 43 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in District of Columbia
The current GDL law in District of Columbia includes the following components:
- A three-stage licensing system beginning at age 16 for learner’s permit, age 16 years and 6 months for the intermediate stage, and age 18 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 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. (Sunday – Thursday September through June) and 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m. (weekends September through June and all days July through August) during the intermediate stage
- A passenger restriction prohibiting passengers during the first 6 months after licensure and prohibiting more than 2 passengers during the remainder of the intermediate stage
- A prohibition on non-emergency use of hand-held cell phones for all drivers and use of hand-held and hands-free cell phones for drivers in the learner’s permit stage
- A prohibition on texting while driving for all drivers
These changes are needed to improve the District of Columbia’s GDL law and meet the requirements of the STANDUP Act
- 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
