A NEW law is allowing teenagers as young as 14 to operate vehicles on public roads, but only if they have a job.
Iowa Lawmakers have passed new legislation that means children can get a driver license at 14 and a half years old.
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The license would allow teenagers to drive car unattended, Fortune reported.
They are allowed to obtain what is known as a special restricted license for minors.
It determines that underage drivers can use the license to drive in specific locations.
They can only use it to go to school, work, or extracurricular activities.
The license can also be used by young drivers who are carrying out agricultural work while assisting parents or employers.
Additionally, drivers under the age of 14 are not permitted to transport more than one minor passenger who is not a relative.
“It’s going to be riskier for everyone, driving at night, playing sports in the morning,” said AAAA Driving School owner Steve Vernon. told WQAD.
“They’re inexperienced. I mean, they’re going to get their driver’s license and two days later they’re going to be driving.”
To obtain a special license, teenagers must complete a driver training course and also have a driver’s license or student license for six months with a clean driving license.
Young drivers have been able to have a learner’s license for some time, as the state allows 14-year-olds to drive with adult supervision.
If underage residents who hold a special license restricted for minors violate any traffic laws while driving, they will face more severe traffic violations than older drivers.
“We want to make sure that all of these drivers, these young drivers understand that they are having the privilege of operating these vehicles now over longer distances with more freedom than just going to school,” said Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla . WHO13.
“And then make sure they are obeying those laws. Do not abuse this privilege of being able to drive, because if you receive a citation, it will result in the loss of your license for an extended period of time.”
An Iowa Department of Transportation driver’s license compliance officer said more teens than ever will drive on public roads because of the special license restricted for minors.
Rules for 14 year old drivers
New legislation has gone into effect in Iowa that allows 14-year-olds to get a driver’s license.
They can only use it under certain conditions:
- Iowa teens can use their special restricted juvenile driving license to:
- school.
- to work.
- extracurricular activities.
- complete agricultural work.
- Drivers with a special license are not allowed to transport more than one minor passenger who is not a relative.
To obtain a license, 14-year-olds must:
- complete a driver training course.
- hold an instruction or learning license for six months.
- have a clean driving record.
SOURCE: FORTUNE
“Because there are more students that will be eligible with the addition of homeschoolers,” Kasey Lee told NBC affiliate WHO13.
“And there may be some who were not interested in using for school or extracurricular purposes only because the new SMRL also allows driving for employment.”
While Iowa’s new minimum driving age may surprise many, it is not the only U.S. state with such a low age for operating automobiles.
South Dakota also allows 14-and-a-half-year-olds to obtain a minor-restricted license.
This allows them to drive pretty much wherever they want, but only at certain times of the day.
South Dakota underage drivers with licenses are permitted to operate vehicles from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
