Special teen driving rules

Wondering what the teen driving rules are? This is taken right off of the DOL website to better explain what you can and CAN NOT do while under the age of 18-

Special rules for teen drivers

When you get a driver license, you must follow some special rules and restrictions. These rules are in place to help protect teen drivers from accidents and help them develop and improve skills in the safest way.

If you’re under 18, you’ll be issued an intermediate driver license and must follow these special rules:

• Passengers:
  • For the first 6 months, you can’t drive with passengers under the age of 20 unless they’re members of your immediate family (such as a spouse, child, stepchild, or siblings, both by birth and marriage).
  • For the next 6 months, you can’t carry more than 3 passengers who are under 20 years old and aren’t members of your immediate family.
• Nighttime driving:
  For the first 12 months, you can’t drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless you’re with a licensed driver age 25 or older. The only exception to this rule is driving for agricultural purposes (transporting farm products or supplies under the direction of a farmer as described in RCW 46.20.070).
• Cell phones:
  You aren’t permitted to use wireless devices while driving, even with a hands-free device. This includes talking on cell phones and sending or receiving text messages. You may only use a wireless device to report an emergency.

How long these restrictions apply

After 1 year of following these rules and driving without a collision or traffic citation, you can drive without limitations to the time of day or passengers you can carry. When you turn 18, these special rules no longer apply and your intermediate driver license automatically becomes a regular license.

Penalties for driving violations and accidents

• First violation: The passenger and nighttime restrictions will be extended until you’re 18 and we’ll send a warning letter to you and your parent or guardian if you do any of the following:
  • Get a ticket for violating the restrictions.
  • Get a ticket for violating a rule of the road.
  • Are involved in an accident where:
    • You get a ticket or are determined to have caused the accident.
    • No one involved in the accident receives a ticket.
    • The cause of the accident can’t be determined.
    • Only your car was involved in the accident.
• Second violation: Your license will be suspended for 6 months (or until age 18, whichever comes first). We’ll notify you and your parent or guardian before we take any suspension action.
• Third violation: Your license will be suspended until you’re 18. We’ll notify you and your parent or guardian before we take any suspension action.

Getting some traction.

Traction is one of the most important things to remember when operating any kind of motor vehicle. Without it, your vehicle will not function as it is supposed to.

These common things are some of the biggest contributors and detractors of traction.

TIRES: Tires are designed with grooved surfaces called treads. These are designed to channel water, snow, etc. through the grooves and keep the rubber in contact with the road. Different tread patterns are intended for special uses such as snow tires.

Tire inflation is also very important. As shown in the diagram, properly inflated tires produce the largest “footprint” with the pavement; therefore giving the best traction. (Under inflation causes wear, overheating and may result in a blowout.)

As the tire wears the rubber tread thins and eventually becomes smooth (bald tire). The traction is produced when the treads are in good condition.

THE ROAD SURFACE: The best traction is available on smooth dry pavement. Any variation and the friction factor diminish accordingly. Refer to the chart, the starting point is a friction factor of 1; excellent tires stopped on a perfectly smooth surface.

SPEED: The speed at which you drive also decreases traction. As speed increases, distortions in the tire shape reduce the surface area touching the pavement. The increased air flow under the vehicle as your speed rises tends to reduce the pressure exerted by the weight of the vehicle on the tires.

Both of these factors cause a decrease in traction as the speed of your vehicle increases.

Winter driving-- things you should be doing

With the inclimate weather on it's way--(later than usual) we wanted to remind you of a few things you should be doing when driving in snow and ice--

While driving test the traction from time to time by lightly applying the brake pedal. On slippery surfaces, drive more slowly. Look further ahead and to the rear more often and keep a longer safety margin both in front and to the rear. Be gentle with the accelerator, the brakes and the steering. Sudden or quick maneuvers are the most common cause of loss of control on slippery surfaces.

Plan your maneuvers sooner so that you may reduce your speed more than usual in "good time". When turning, start at a much slower speed and accelerate later than usual and more gently. While driving, activate the windshield wipers (if not already operating) before you meet oncoming vehicles, a vehicle passes you or you pass another vehicle. Avoid passing unless it is absolutely necessary; make sure that the driver ahead is in no danger of steering off course and the space available for passing is much longer than normal.

In snow or blowing snow, travel in the lane with the least snow or ice. In fact, follow the path of the preceding vehicles even though it may not coincide with the center of a lane. Avoid driving in ruts; do not attempt to get out of them at high speeds.

Wet roadways are especially slippery as the temperature nears the freezing point (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Extra caution should be exercised on bridges, elevated expressways and shaded areas as these surfaces freeze more quickly.

Be safe out there!