What's happening
This bill establishes a temporary commission to study teen driver safety and recommend measures to reduce teen driving risks in New York.
Why it matters
The commission is tasked with a comprehensive review of current teen driver education programs. both within New York and across the U.S.—to judge their effectiveness and identify best practices, potentially leading to statewide reforms in how young drivers are taught.
It will investigate a broad range of safety issues specific to teen drivers. , including the impact of drug/alcohol use, aggressive and distracted driving (such as using hands-free devices), and the types of traffic violations most often linked to teen accidents, which could inform future legislation or public safety campaigns.
The commission will consider new accountability measures for parents and restrictions on teen drivers. , such as requiring parental attendance at court proceedings, imposing penalties on parents who knowingly allow violations, and limiting who can ride with teen drivers—proposals that could shift both legal and cultural expectations around teen driving.
The findings and recommendations are due within a strict six-month timeframe. , meaning any resulting policy changes or legislative proposals could be developed and debated quickly, potentially leading to relatively rapid changes in New York’s approach to teen driver safety.
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Create Teen Driver Safety Panel
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Create Teen Driver Safety Commission
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Andrew J. Lanza
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1009
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to establish the teen driver safety commission and providing for its powers and duties; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative declaration. The legislature hereby finds and declares: (a) that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens; (b) the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16 to 19 year olds than among any other age group; and (c) the presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. The legislature therefore finds and declares that a teen driver safety commission shall be established pursuant to this act.
§ 2. Teen driver safety commission. 1. The commission shall consist of twelve members. Four of the members shall be appointed by the governor, of which one shall be from the department of motor vehicles. Three of the members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate. Three of the members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly. One member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate. One member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. All appointments shall be made within thirty days of the effective date of this act.
2. The commission shall, within twenty days following the appointment of all its members, elect a chairperson from among such members.
3. The commission shall study, examine and review the issue of teen driver safety. In conducting its study, the commission shall:
(a) study and evaluate the availability and effectiveness of driver education and training programs in the state, as well as a selection of driver education and training programs offered throughout the United States;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02427-01-7
A. 1009 2
(b) survey and assess the problems of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and aggressive driving among teens;
(c) review the impact of distracting behaviors while driving, including, but not limited to, the use of hands-free electronic communication devices and the manual use of non-standard audio devices;
(d) determine the type of motor vehicle violations that are most often associated with accidents involving teen drivers;
(e) evaluate the role and utilization of defensive driving and accident prevention programs;
(f) determine and analyze any non-standard safety devices that may be available; and
(g) consider any other issues or matters the commission may deem appropriate to fulfill the scope of its charge.
4. Additionally, the commission shall analyze and provide measures that may mitigate the risks associated with the operation of motor vehicles by teen drivers. Such measures shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) requiring the parents of a teen driver to attend all court proceedings and hearings associated with motor vehicle violations charged to such teen driver;
(b) assessing fines or penalties to the parents of a teen driver when they knowingly allow such driver to operate a motor vehicle in violation of a class restriction; and
(c) prohibiting anyone, other than family members or a supervising driver, from riding as a passenger in a motor vehicle operated by a teen driver.
5. The commission shall report its findings, conclusions and recommendations to the governor and legislature no later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this act.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law, when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.