Graduated License Violations Hard To Catch, Officials Say

Thursday, August 16th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

Tragedy strikes as students in Green Country head back to school. A car full of students pulled out in front of a semi near Adair Wednesday, killing three of the people in the car. Nine extra counselors were on hand Thursday for the district's first day of class. The Adair School superintendent says the sophomore class was hit especially hard. Four of the five students in the car were sophomores, including the 16-year-old driver. The News On 6â€™s Joshua Brakhage reports the state says this time of year more inexperienced drivers are on Oklahoma roads.

There's no busier time for the Jenks drivers' license testing facility than back to school. Fifteen-and-a-half-year-old Rebecca Craig is part of a big crowd trying to get a driving permit.

"Kinda nervous, just, I want to get it over with so I can drive,â€ she said. â€œAnd I have to drive myself to ballet six days a week, so they want me to get my license."

For TJ Bickford it's football practice. The 16-year-old has had his learner's permit for more than a year, and his dad is anxious for TJ to drive himself.

"Well, that part of it's good for me but the other part I'm concerned about is worrying about him out there by himself behind the wheel,â€ said TJâ€™s father David Bickford. â€œHe hasn't had that much experience."

In Oklahoma's graduated license system, teenagers need to have a learner's permit for six months before they drive solo.

"When you're 15-and-a-half, 16-years-old, you're ten foot tall and bulletproof, and they don't realize just one mistake could change their life forever," said senior driving examiner Brenda Mays.

Brenda Mays says parents are an important part of the puzzle. She says they have to stress the responsibility kidâ€™s hold when their hands are on the wheel.

"You shouldn't feel some comfort just because your child came and rode with an examiner for 15, 20 minutes and was able to pass the test,â€ Mays said. â€œYou need to know that if they're gone for two hours that they're gonna still come back home."

After six months with a learner's permit, 16-year olds can get intermediate licenses. Without an adult, they can only drive to work, church or school, and can only have one passenger in the car. An unrestricted license comes six-months after that.

The ticket for violating a restriction is steep, more than $200, but it's a hard violation to catch. The 16-year-old driver in Adair only had a learner's permit, and should have been driving with an adult.

Watch the video: Teenaged Driving Dangers

Related story:

8/16/2007 - Two Die In Traffic Accident