Very many (veryThe number of young drivers in Hawkeye State may be about to rise.
New legislation has taken effect in Iowa that allows students to obtain their own driver’s licenses, allowing them to drive without a chaperone. At the age of 14 and a half.
There are, as you might imagine, some restrictions. The license, called a Special Restricted Minor License, requires young drivers to use the permit only to drive to school and work, extracurricular activities, or to complete farm work to help parents or employers. They must complete a driver education course, and they will need to have a six-month learner’s permit (known as a learner’s permit in some states) with a clean driving record. (The state allows 14-year-olds to drive with adult supervision.)
If holders of these new restricted licenses violate any traffic laws while driving, they will face more severe traffic violations than other drivers. They are also not allowed to carry more than one minor passenger who is not a relative.
While Iowa’s new minimum for its restricted license is low, it’s not unique. South Dakota It also allows children 14 and a half years old to obtain a restricted minor permit, allowing them to drive pretty much wherever they want from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
However, some drivers in the state were a bit hesitant about the potential influx of new drivers.
“It would be more dangerous for everyone, driving at night, exercising in the morning,” said Steve Vernon, owner of AAAA Driving School. He told WQAD“They’re inexperienced, I mean they’ll get their licenses, then two days later they’ll be driving.”
