Vermont
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in Vermont
In 2008, 14 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in Vermont. Over the past five years, Vermont crashes involving teen drivers claimed 81 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in Vermont
The current GDL law in Vermont 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 one year 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 passenger restriction prohibiting passengers for the first six months after licensure
These changes are needed to improve Vermont’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
- Add a prohibition on unsupervised nighttime driving during the intermediate stage
- 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
