Kentucky teenagers can now apply for a driver’s permit at 15 under a new state law aimed at giving young drivers more experience behind the wheel before obtaining a full license.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 15 into law Tuesday, lowering the minimum age requirement from 16 to 15. Supporters say the change will help new drivers develop safer habits by extending the supervised learning period before they receive an intermediate or unrestricted license.
“It’s going to allow for people to have more training (and) get more experience behind the wheel before they become licensed drivers,” said Rep. Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, who sponsored the bill.
While the measure lowers the age requirement a driver’s permit, it doesn’t change the requirements for obtaining a full driver’s license. The law stipulates that young drivers will still need to pass a written test, a vision test and complete a driving hours log.
“I know a year’s worth of training versus six months is going to be better,” Rudy said, adding it brings Kentucky in line with laws in surrounding states.
The move is a welcome change for young drivers like Liz Mejias, who was taking her permit test Tuesday at Louisville’s regional driver’s license office at Bowman Field.
“You don’t need to be paying Uber or asking for help for someone to take you somewhere,” she said of the importance of the new law. “A lot of kids will love that.”
But others, like Karen Newton, who brought her grandson to Bowman Field for a permit test, have concerns.
“I think they’re too young to be driving at 15 years old,” she said. “They can implement a teacher that could teach them better than just ‘hey, here’s your permit, go drive.'”
Lawmakers believe the change will increase training time and ease the burden of transportation.
The law goes into effect immediately.
By Dalton Godbey, WDRB.com
