South Carolina
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in South Carolina
In 2008, 141 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in South Carolina. Over the past five years, South Carolina crashes involving teen drivers claimed 843 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in South Carolina
The current GDL law in South Carolina includes the following components:
- A three-stage licensing system beginning at age 15 for learner’s permit, age 15 years and 6 months for the intermediate stage, and age 16 years and 6 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 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. (standard time) or 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. (daylight savings time) during the intermediate stage
- A passenger restriction prohibiting more than two passenger younger than age 21 unless driving to or from school
These changes are needed to improve South 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
- 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 , including texting while driving, during the learner’s permit and intermediate stages
