In Oklahoma, teen drivers need to follow the guidelines set by the Oklahoma Graduated Driver License law. The GDL ("Graduated Driver License”) program slowly phases in driving privileges for new teenage drivers. Within the GDL program, there are several different license types offered to those who have completed a driver’s education course:
No License- At the age of 15, you can begin receiving behind –the-wheel instruction from a certified driver education instructor after taking a driver’s education course.
Learner Permit-You can drive when you are accompanied by someone over the age of 21 if you are at least 15 ½ years old, have completed a driver’s education course, passed the written driving exam, and have passed the vision exam.
Intermediate License-At this phase, you are allowed to drive without someone over the age of 21 between the hours of 5am and 11pm (special hours apply if you are taking part in community or school activities). You are allowed to drive one passenger, people from your home, or anyone over the age of 21. These privileges are given to those who have had completed a driver’s education course, had a learner’s permit for at least 6 months, have accumulated at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training (see specifications at Behind The Wheel Training), no traffic convictions, and have passed the driving skills exam.
Unrestricted License-At this level, you can drive any passengers at any time. To achieve this status you must have passed a driver’s education course, had an Intermediate License for at least 6 months, and have no traffic convictions.
Oklahoma Drivers License- Graduated Drivers License Law:
“May 17, 1999, Oklahoma became the 33rd state in the nation to pass a Graduated Driver License law with the signing of SB 413. The Graduated Drivers License law was strengthened in 2005 when the Oklahoma Legislature passed HB 1653 authored by State Representative Danny Morgan. This law requires teens to apply for the license, which restricts their driving time to the hours of 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with exceptions for driving to work, school, church or related activities, or if a licensed driver is seated next to the teenager. The bill also prevents teenage drivers from chauffeuring their friends around town, prohibiting teens with a restricted license from driving with multiple passengers younger than age 21 (other than family). Under the provisions of House Bill 1653, the driver’s license restrictions would be removed over a one-year period if a teenager maintains a clean driving record.”
What is Oklahoma GDL? Oklahoma Graduated Driver Licensing is a system for phasing in on-road driving, allowing beginners to get their initial experience under conditions that involve lower risk and introducing them in stages to more complex driving situations.
Take some time to watch the Young Drivers video here. See if your teen likes this video. If they do, they will love our Oklahoma graduated driver licensing program.
|
Remember when we were trying to teach our new teenagers as if we were traveling on a two-lane dirt road at 35 MPH, when our average traveled speed in Oklahoma exceeds 55 MPH on a six-lane highway? Most families had a single vehicle in the fifties and sixties, and then to two vehicles in the seventies. The days of driving on weekends with mom and dad for the first year or two is over. In today’s hectic schedules, we are not allowing ourselves time to protect our Oklahoma teens and teach them to drive as we should be. Parents need to realize that as the times change we must keep pace with that change.
Our driving generation, 35 to 50 years old, will be remembered as the worse driving generation in the history of the vehicle. We average 40,000 fatalities per year. Our generation needs to change the way we think and teach Oklahoma graduated driver licensing.
If you look closely, you'll realize we spend about 12 years on basic education, reading writing, math, history and physical education…and only 6 hours behind the wheel training in a vehicle.
We need to be remembered as the generation that created the best Oklahoma drivers in history. The generation that did something about the way we think and teach driver training. We need help from every mom and dad to complete this goal. We need to invest our time in our teenagers and take the time needed to teach our children to drive better.
This could mean as much as 1 or two years of guidance. And to do this you will need the very best Oklahoma curriculum and training videos available. You will need to allow Oklahoma graduated driver licensing to become part of your families dinner conversation and sharing experiences on new intersections, changes on the interstate on ramps or maybe a lost of a fellow student friend.
Oklahoma Driver education and training is no longer a project to hire out to the local driving school. Parents need to get involved and stay involved for at least two or three years. Placing driving restrictions and hours on when a new driver is allowed to drive and with whom. This, in essence, is Oklahoma Graduated Driver Licensing.
