Previous Story
House passes driver education bill
|
Posted on May 29 2006
The House of Representatives has approved a new measure that would make driver’s education a requirement for new license applicants.
Authored by Rep. Arnold Palacios, House Bill 15-26 seeks to ensure that drivers in the Commonwealth become aware of laws and regulations related to the safe operation of vehicles.
The proposed legislation, which is now pending in the Senate, is the fourth attempt in four years to establish driver’s education in the Commonwealth. The three other bills were passed by the 14th House of Representatives, but failed subsequently because of Senate inaction or governor’s veto.
The mandatory driver’s education would apply to all first-time license applicants, foreign nationals who have not obtained a driver license from a U.S. jurisdiction, and repeat traffic violators.
“The knowledge taught by qualified professionals is vital since they place a well-balanced emphasis on driver performance, making accurate decisions based on perception, and appropriate behavior at a time when students are just beginning to drive. At this time, when the number one cause of teenage deaths nationwide is traffic accidents, we must seriously consider the importance of a quality driver education program to provide instruction in this life long skill of driving,” stated a portion of the bill.
The measure seeks to require course participants to learn not only vehicle operation, but also the negative effects of drugs and alcohol while driving.
