Governor Tom Corbett signed the new Teen Driver Law, known as “Lacey’s Law”, on October 25, 2011.  The law took effect December 24, 2011.

What does this new law mean to teen drivers?  There are several provisions you need to understand:

1. PASSENGER LIMIT

Under the new bill, teens under the age of 18 are not allowed to have more than one non-family passenger under 18 with them in the car, unless accompanied by a parent.  This means you can no longer give four or five friends a ride to school – pick your favorite and that’s it.  You can have more than one passenger over the age of 18, and family members don’t count for this law – so if you would normally give rides to your younger sister and brother, that’s still okay.  But only one friend under 18 in the car with you at any time.

Once you’ve had your license for six months, the non-family passenger limit increases to a maximum of three, so long as you maintain a clean, safe driving record or unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

2. MORE TRAINING HOURS

Before this law, you needed to get 50 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel training before you could take the driver’s test.  That minimum is now up to 65, and the extra hours have their own requirements.  Under the new law, 10 hours must be done at night, and five must be done in inclement weather (rain, ice, fog and snow).

3. SEAT BELT LAW CHANGE

The new law makes it a primary offense not to use your seat belt under 18 – this means the police can pull you over if they see you driving un-belted.  And it applies to all of your passengers under 18, too – if your friend isn’t wearing his seat belt, the cops can ticket you.