North Carolina
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in North Carolina
In 2008, 250 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in North Carolina. Over the past five years, North Carolina crashes involving teen drivers claimed 1500 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in North Carolina
The current GDL law in North Carolina 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 16 years and 6 months for full licensure
- A mandatory 12 month holding period for the learner’s permit stage
- A prohibition on unsupervised nighttime driving between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the intermediate stage
- A passenger restriction prohibiting more than one passenger younger than age 21; if a family member younger than age 21 is a passenger, then no other non-familial passengers younger than age 21 are permitted
- A prohibition on non-emergency use of cell phones by drivers younger than age 18
- A prohibition on texting while driving for all drivers
These changes are needed to improve North Carolina’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
