Teen Driving Laws

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. For teens in fatal crashes, 37% were speeding and 26% had been drinking. That’s why the rules are different for teens. For example, if you are under 21 (or 18 in some states) about half the states prohibit you from having any alcohol in your blood and you can be charged with DUI for even a trivial amount. In the other states, minors are limited to a .02 blood alcohol content. Zero (or low) tolerance laws prevail with the hope of preventing our young people from dying on the highways because of drunk driving. In this section we discuss some of the basic rules for teen drivers.