1. Graduated Driver Licensing
The GDL Law and how it works

2. Why do we have a GDL Law?
Motor Vehicle Crashes are the Number 1 Killer of people ages 16-24… You!
Crashes are not “accidents” because they are most often completely avoidable
Caused by lack of experience or awareness
GDL Laws are the only scientifically proven method to reduce teen motor vehicle fatalities
GDL - Allows you to gain experience gradually before allowing unrestricted driving
Motor Vehicle crashes kill more teens than any other form of accidental death. More than murders, suicides or drugs.
This is important terminology. The word accident implies that it was an event beyond the control of those involved. However, most of the events involving teen drivers result from completely avoidable factors. For example:
Excessive Speed relative to conditions
Distractions inside the car
More than any other reason young people are involved in crashes because they are inexperienced or lack the awareness of older drivers. They are unable to identify risk or improperly react to hazards when behind the wheel. High prevalence of contributing factors like speed and distracted driving exacerbate the problem by giving young drivers less time to react. Examples:
They know that the sharp turn ahead means you should slow down but they don’t account for the road surface being slippery or dangerous in adverse conditions. They don’t have the experience to identify that the conditions present a high risk.
Many inexperienced drivers will over correct or over steer when presented with a hazardous situation.
Numerous national organizations such as the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Governors Highway Safety Administrators (GHSA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) have proven GDL law to reduce fatalities and personal injuries among teens by as much as 40%.
Use examples of other areas where young people require training or practice before perfecting a skill. Examples may include:
Swimming – “Did you learn to swim by jumping in the deep end?”
Sports (Baseball/Football) “Could you win the big game without practice?”
Video Games – “Could you beat the boss if you didn’t know the buttons?”
Theater – “Would you skip right to opening night without rehearsing?”
Final Exams – “Would you take your final exam at the beginning of the year?”
Musical Instrument – “Could you just pick up an (instrument) and play it well?”

3. How does the GDL Law work?
Three Stages:
Junior Permit – “Learning” License
Junior License – “Training” License
Adult License – “Practice” License
All regular License Restrictions apply:
No portable electronic devices (texting)
No hand held cell phones
There are three distinct phases of the NYS GDL Law
Junior Permit – “Learning” License allows for restricted driving and is the phase where young drivers learn the basics of operating a motor vehicle
Junior License- “Training” License allows the driver to practice and improve on the lessons learned during the Junior Permit Phase. Additional privileges begin at this point and this is the first time some teen drivers will be able to drive unsupervised.
Adult License- “In Practice” License is when all requirements have been met and restrictions have been lifted. Now a driver is able to put into practice all of the driving lessons learned while in the previous two license classes
Any law that applies to general licenses also applies to a GDL License. Please take the time to discuss the cell phone and portable electronics ban.

4. Junior Permit (Upstate)
Eligible at 16 years of age
Pass written and vision tests
Only drive while accompanied by a supervising driver
Parent or Guardian
Driver Education Teacher or Driving School Instructor
Someone over 21 with a valid license
May only have one passenger
Between 9pm and 5am may only drive with Parent or Guardian
An individual must be 16 years old to be eligible for their permit. They must posses six points of identification as defined by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Common sources of ID include a birth certificate and social security card. If no other form of identification is available then a parent/guardian must fill out the “Statement of Identity and/or Residence by Parent/Guardian” (MV-45) with the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles.
Supervising Driver Definitions:
Parent: The natural parent of the Junior Permit holder who is behind the wheel.
Guardian: means a person who has, on a regular and extended basis, assumed the character of your parent and is discharging parental duties as the result of the death, disability, or absence of your natural parent.
Driver Education Teacher: An individual who is certified to provide classroom instruction in a State Approved Driver Education Course.
Driving School Instructor: Individual employed by a commercial driving school and certified with the State of New York Department of Motor Vehicles for the purposes of providing behind the wheel instruction.
In upstate New York a permit holder may drive when supervised by a person over the age of 21 who is not related to the driver if that person holds a valid license for the vehicle being driven.
If the supervising driver is over 21 but is not the drivers parent or guardian then there may only be one other passenger under 21 in the vehicle who is not related to the driver.
The only person that may serve as the supervising driver between the hours of 9pm and 5am is the drivers parent.

5. Junior Permit (New York City)
Must drive only under the direct supervision of your:
Parent
Guardian
Person “in loco parentis”
Driver Education Teacher
Driving School Instructor
May only have one passenger
The person above must be at least age 21 and have a valid license for the vehicle being driven.
Vehicle must have dual controls (dual brakes).
Between the hours of 9pm and 5am you must not drive.
1. The same requirements for minimum age (16) and written and vision tests that are in force for the upstate region apply to New York City (5 Boroughs). However, the person you are permitted to drive with and the hours you are permitted to drive are different. Also, the vehicle being driven by a permit holder in NYC must be equipped with dual controls (dual brakes).

6. Junior Permit (Long Island)
You must drive only under the immediate supervision of:
Your Parent
Your Guardian
Your person “in loco parentis”
Driver Education Teacher
Driving School Instructor
May only have one passenger
The person above must be at least age 21 and have a license valid for the vehicle being driven.
Between the hours of 9pm and 5am you must not drive.
1. Same age and testing requirements as upstate and NYC apply for Long Island. However, as with NYC, you are limited as to who can supervise your driving and you are not permitted to drive between the hours of 9pm and 5am.

7. Take Your Road Test
Must maintain valid Junior Permit status for six months
Parents or Guardian must certify 50 hours of supervised driving time, 15 of which are after sunset
Complete 5 hour Pre-Licensing and/or Driver Education Course
Present relevant forms to DMV License Examiner
Valid status means no suspensions or revocations for six months once you receive your permit. Any time the teen driver spends suspended is not calculated in the six month waiting period. Any revoked license will have to serve a whole new six month waiting period once a new license is received.
Parental Certified driving time is in place to urge parents to allow their young driver more driving behind the wheel in safe and supervised settings. Fifty hours is a nationally accepted standard for minimum hours. The fifteen “after sunset” hours are required due to the different skills necessary during nighttime driving.
MV-262 Supervised Driving Completion Certificate
A Teen Driver must present an MV-278 Pre-Licensing Course Completion Certificate at the time of their road test.
At the time of the road test these forms are to be presented to the Motor Vehicle License Examiner (MVLE). If the teen driver passes their road test these forms are to be surrendered.

8. Junior License (Class DJ)- Upstate
Must have passed your road test
Allowed to drive unsupervised
Only between 5am and 9pm
With no more than ONE non-family passenger under age 21
Everyone in vehicle must wear a seatbelt
Passing the road test is not make the teen a “good driver.” The first six months of unsupervised driving time is the most dangerous for young people. They do not yet possess enough practical driving experience. It should be emphasized that it is critical to continue learning and gaining experience in safe and secure settings.
The Teen is now responsible for themselves and others on the road. Suggest that this is a great privilege and comes with great accountability.
The hours between 9 and midnight are the most dangerous for teen drivers. Extending this restriction past 9 pm will subject a teen driver to significant increased risk, beyond the possibility of sanctions on their license if caught.
Passengers are one of the most dangerous forms of distractions for teen drivers. With each passenger the likelihood of being involved in a fatal or personal injury crash goes up significantly. With two or more passengers the risk can be as much as three times greater than when driving alone. Males are especially susceptible to this problem. This is also an ideal time to illustrate the need for teens to be “good passengers.” Encourage them to stay quiet and not distract the driver.
The single greatest thing a teen driver may do to prevent injury or death in a motor vehicle crash is to fasten their seatbelt. This can not be overstated. GDL law specifically states that all individuals in a car driven by a GDL license holder must be properly restrained.

9. Junior License (Class DJ) - NYC
A Junior License (Class DJ) must not drive under any circumstances in the five boroughs of New York City
1. After taking the road test a Junior License holder must no longer drive under any circumstances in New York City, even when supervised.

10. Junior License (Class DJ)- Long Island
You may drive unsupervised only directly between your home and:
Employment;
A work-study program;
A course at a college, university, or registered evening high school;
A driver education course; or
While engaged in farm employment.
Only one non-family passenger allowed under age 21
You may drive in situations other than mentioned above only when accompanied by your licensed parent, guardian, person “in loco parentis,” driver education teacher, or driving school instructor.
Between the hours of 9pm and 5am you may drive alone only directly between your home and a work-study program, a course at a college, university, or registered evening high school, a driver education course, or while engaged in farm employment.

11. Adult License (Class D)- All Regions
Automatically received on 18th birthday
Eligible at 17 years old with a valid MV-285 Course Completion Certificate
No restrictions on your license
This is not the “END”
A license will be sent in the mail to anyone holding a DJ license after their 18th birthday.
If a teen driver has completed a State certified Driver Education course they will receive an MV-285 Driver Education Course Completion Certificate. If a 17 year old has passed their road test and surrendered the MV-285 to the Department of Motor Vehicles they are issued a Class D License. A Class D allows that teen to drive without restrictions anywhere in New York State. If the teen does not surrender the MV-285 they will still be considered a Junior License or DJ license holder and will be subjected to those restrictions.
Full adult privileges will be afforded to that 17 year old.
Obtaining an adult or “D” license does not signify the “end” of learning to drive. It takes years before an individual is proficient behind the wheel. Remind teens that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for people ages This means that even after they receive their license they are still at greater risk than the general population. Urge them to keep learning and practicing safe driving behavior.

12. Going forward…
GDL Laws are not a punishment, they are to there to keep you safe
Talk to your parents about learning to drive, ask them to drive with you
Better decisions leads to more privileges and responsibility
A drivers license is a privilege not a right, respect that privilege or you will lose it
Some teens feel that GDL laws are a punishment or unjust persecution. Instead suggest that they are in place to allow for them to learn safely and develop good driving habits. Empower them in the process by suggesting that if they complete this process they may be better drivers than many other people out there.
Parents are critical in the development of teen drivers. Urge young people to talk to their parents about the process and engage them in discussion about the GDL laws.
“You can’t fight the law.” These laws are in place and they aren’t going anywhere. If young people make better decisions they will be rewarded through Graduated Driver Licensing. Emphasize the role of good decisions in this area.
There is no stipulation in any law that a person must have a drivers license. Often times people feel that it is an entitlement without responsibility. However, misbehavior or abuse of this privilege could at the very least result in the revocation of a license and a loss of the teens coveted mobility and freedom. At the very worst it could result in loss of life or serious injury.

13. A little lesson about distractions:
The only Laws you can’t break are the Laws of Physics
For every 1 mile per hour, a car travels 1.47 feet per second
At 40 mph you will travel nearly 59 feet in one second!
Two seconds = 118 feet (time it takes to glance at the radio)
The average response time for an adult is 1.5 seconds
This would bring your total distance traveled to feet before you could step on the brake pedal or take evasive action, and that’s only 40 MPH
Newton’s three laws of motion are constant, and define the ways changes in motion are related to force and mass. Acceleration, motion, force and mass are all involved when driving a motor vehicle.
Emphasize that 1.47 feet is the distance traveled if you are only going 1 mile per hour. (barely moving at all)
Illustrate with a tape measure or some other visible marker exactly how far 59 feet is, and have the students perform a task (such as looking down at their desk) for exactly one second to emphasize how short of a time frame this is.
In a period of two seconds, if you are only moving at 40 miles per hour, you travel 118 feet (twice the distance illustrated above). Most would agree that 40 miles per hour doesn’t seem to be very fast when traveling in a car. However, as we see, this perception is deceiving. In two seconds you can cover a great deal of distance.
Now take into account the amount of time it will take the human brain to detect, process and respond to a hazard or unexpected situation. For the average adult this time is 1.5 seconds, but remember, as young drivers you are performing a new and unfamiliar task, so the time it takes to fully process the hazard and determine the appropriate course of action could vary. Also take into account that you may not know the appropriate course of action because you may not have encountered the situation before.
Based on the average adult response time, your car would have traveled feet before any action was taken at all. “What exactly does feet equate to?”

14. 206.5 Feet is: 13 Toyota Camry’s 25 Mini coopers Three 18-Wheelers
Just short of one 747
70 yards on a football field
Quite a bit of distance when you think about it in this way. What could happen while traveling this distance?
A pedestrian could step into the road and you would never see the person.
A car could pull out from a side street and you would never see it.
An animal could run in front of your car and you would never see it.
A traffic light could change from green to red and you would never see it.
It is important to remember that the unexpected can happen in a matter of seconds. If we become distracted for even one second when behind the wheel of a motor vehicle the consequences can be tragic.

15. GTSC – “Didn’t see that coming..”
Governors Traffic Safety Committee “Didn’t see that coming..” NCSA.
GTSC – “Didn’t see that coming..”

16. For more information or to Schedule your road test See:
There are many helpful tools and resources on the DMV “Resources for the Younger Driver” website. There are also much more in depth descriptions of the GDL Law elements and provisions.