Can a 16-year-old drive home from prom after 10 p.m. under new teen driving law?
Behind the Blue Line — Michigan State Police Trooper Duane Zook takes your law enforcement questions
Question: Under the new teen driving law, can a 16-year-old student drive home from prom after 10 p.m.?
Answer: Under new Michigan law, the quick answer to this question is "no.'' The new requirements prohibit Level 2 license holders from having more than one person under 21 years of age as a passenger unless that person is an immediate family member, or the driver is traveling to or from a school or a school-sanctioned event such as prom prior to 10 p.m.
With that being said, Level 2 license holders may not drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless traveling to or from a place of employment, when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver over 21 years old designated by a parent or legal guardian.
Listed below are the three levels of eligibility for obtaining a full Michigan operators license.
To be eligible for a Level 1 Learner’s License, applicants must:
• Present acceptable documentation of U.S. citizenship or legal presence, identity and Michigan residency. • Be at least 14 years 9 months old. • Pass a vision test. • Provide their Social Security number or letter of ineligibility. • Meet physical and mental standards as prescribed by the Secretary of State. • Successfully complete Segment 1 of an approved driver education program and present a Segment 1 Certification of Completion. • Have a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult sign the Level 1 application.
To be eligible to apply for a Level 2 Intermediate License, applicants must:
• Present a Level 1 Learner’s License and proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence. • Be at least 16 years of age. • Pass a vision test. • Meet physical and mental standards as prescribed by the Secretary of State. • Have possessed a Level 1 Learner’s License for not less than 6 months. • Have successfully completed Segment 2 of an approved driver education program and present a Segment 2 Certificate of Completion. • Pass a driving skills test and present a Driving Skills Test Certificate. • Have no convictions or civil infractions, license suspensions, or at-fault crashes for the 90-day period immediately prior to applying for a Level 2 Intermediate License. • Have a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult sign the application to certify the 50 hours behind-the-wheel experience.
To be eligible for a Level 3 Full License, applicants must:
• Be at least 17 years old. • Complete at least six months at Level 2. • Complete 12 consecutive months without a moving violation, an accident in which a moving violation resulted, a license suspension, or a violation of the graduated license restrictions (may be six months at Level 1 and six months at Level 2, if consecutive).
The above listed information was obtained from www.michigan.gov. Parents and teens are encouraged to visit www.firstn10.com for greater detail explaining the restrictions.
Do you have a question you want answered? Every Tuesday, I'll post the answers to your questions here. Send me a question by e-mail at ypsilantipost@gmail.com.
Comments
dad1
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 2:27 p.m.
If a high school parent group is hosting a post prom party (1-4AM) at the high school, and the students are traveling from the prom to the post prom party and later from that party to home, would it be legal for those Seniors to drive their dates?
Peggy
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 7:56 p.m.
Dear "control freak hater". Think about it, the newest laws are only made to protect our youngest and most naive drivers from killing themselves and others on the road. They need to be controlled!
mhirzel
Wed, Apr 6, 2011 : 12:29 a.m.
"They need to be controlled!" That's a parent's job. Not the state.
Only in Ann Arbor
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 7:35 p.m.
@ Boo Radley The new law says, "a level 2 license holder is limited to no more than one under 21 passenger unless they are traveling to or from school or a school function ". That means " Traveling to or school. That means after schoo, sporting events and any other sponsered school event Welcome to Ann Arbor, where reality and common sense are not welcomed!!
AA
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 6:15 p.m.
Come on mom and dad (if you are around) Its a prom Take a hour out of you life and drive the kids and drive them home Its not like they are going to a MOTEL after to party Then they can go to school next week Not the Grave yard
mhirzel
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 7:01 p.m.
Two years later, they can go and get killed in - take your pick - any of our many wars, but we can't let them drive to the prom? Perhaps you are right to be concerned about your kids having a bad outcome; you know them, I don't. Mine were fine, dependable kids at 16 and they enjoyed the prom as a very important rite of passage kind of thing, SANS parents.
Boo Radley
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 2:57 p.m.
So ... a level 2 license holder is limited to no more than one under 21 passenger unless they are traveling to or from school or a school function. That means it is still ok for a student to load up his/her car with 5 or 6 buddies and blast out of school in the afternoon. Or when going to or from an evening athletic or other event (prior to 10 pm) Aren't those situations often when a group of students get themselves in trouble on the road? Another example of our legislators just not being able to get it quite right ...
DeeAA
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 2:30 p.m.
It says "Level 2 license holders may not drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless traveling to or from a place of employment, when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver over 21 years old designated by a parent or legal guardian." Does this mean a person that age is allowed to work during those hours under Michigan law and must he/she be accompanied to/from their place of employment by a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver over 21 years old during those hours?
mhirzel
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 12:26 p.m.
Good god! The control freaks have totally taken over. Glad I'll be dead soon.
AA
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 6:09 p.m.
me too