Local instructor voices approval for Iowa law changes coming Jan. 1 for Iowa's teen drivers

Law changes are coming soon for Iowa teens as they transition into full fledged driver status. These laws mandate longer instruction time with supervised experience behind the wheel and address the potential distractions of additional people in the youth's vehicle.

Jim Pankow, the instructor for Drive Tek (the company that works in coordination with Decorah Schools), is all behind the changes. He says anything you read in terms of research validates the increased risk youth face when they have additional riders in their vehicle. He says he can even see the distraction issue arise when he might have three rather than two riders when he is providing in-car training.

In terms of the additional supervised driving time, he says, "the more experience the better." He adds that an important factor in increasing the supervised driving time to one year is that drivers can then experience the full range of weather/driving conditions that Iowa drivers experience within the course of a year – from air conditioned summer driving, to varied sunrise/sunset conditions, and, of course, winter driving situations.

Following is the news release from the DOT regarding the changes:

Motor vehicle crashes kill more teenagers than anything else. With parents' help, two changes to Iowa's graduated driver's license system taking effect Jan. 1, 2014, are tools that can be used to keep kids safe behind the wheel and work to save their lives.

Longer instruction time behind the wheel: Statistics show that increased supervised experience behind the wheel helps young drivers develop safer driving habits. The first change in the Iowa law increases the time a young driver is required to carry an instruction permit to 12 months, up from the current six months, before they can apply for an intermediate license. The new law gives drivers twice the amount of time behind the wheel to learn from an experienced driver. It also allows for that driving practice to take place across all driving conditions and seasons. This law goes into effect for all young drivers applying for an intermediate license after Jan. 1, 2014.

Reduced distractions: We all want our kids to have friends, but piling those friends in the car with your 16-year-old driver is a recipe for disaster. Data proves that the first six months of driving without an adult is the most dangerous for teen drivers. To reduce the risk an unsupervised young driver with an intermediate license will be limited to one unrelated minor passenger during the first six months that child has a license. (A child driving with adult supervision is not subject to this limit.) Parents can waive this restriction, but only at the time the intermediate license is issued. This will apply to all intermediate licenses issued after Jan. 1, 2014.

The new law also limits a young driver with a minor school license to one unrelated minor passenger when driving without adult supervision. Unlike the intermediate license restriction, this restriction applies as long as the young driver holds a minor school license. This part of the law also becomes effective Jan. 1, 2014, and applies to all persons holding a minor school license, even if the license was issued before Jan. 1, 2014.

An unrelated minor child is defined as someone that is not your brother or sister, step-brother or sister, or a child living in your household. The definition of adult supervisor as it relates to this mandate means your parent, guardian, or custodian; an immediate family member at least 21 years of age, a driver education instructor, or a person at least 25 years old with written permission from your parent, guardian, or custodian. They must sit in the front passenger seat while you are driving.

These changes to Iowa's driver's license system are designed to keep us all safer and contribute to the overall goal of zero fatalities on Iowa's highways.