The Law Says Teens Must Restrict Passengers in Ohio

This makes a great deal of sense if you stop to think about it. This law is intended to bring down the numbers of teens killed and injured in car accidents. The impetus for this particular law happens to have been the figures that showed 16-year-old teens were deemed at fault in roughly 85 percent of the fatalities recorded for 2006. The figures weren't that much better for 2007 either.


It wasn't just those numbers that made the state legislators sit up and take notice. It was also the fact that it appeared that when there was one passenger in the car (non-family), with the teen it virtually doubled the risk of a crash. The national stats speak for themselves on this matter as they show 2 out of every 5 teens die thanks to a fatal traffic accident.


Of those young adults that died, just about 60 percent of them were going over the posted speed limit of 40 mph or less and close to 75 percent of the accidents happened within 25 miles of the teen's home. Gives one pause for thought doesn't it? Well, Ohio wanted to make sure something was done about this and it implemented a law aimed at addressing these statistics. It's not often a state takes this kind of a preventative measure to protect life, but the fact that they did shows it was a serious concern to them.


The law mandates that drivers under 17 may only have one non-family passenger, unless there is a parent present in the vehicle at the same time. Other restrictions are that 17 and 18 year olds are not allowed to drive between the hours of 1 am to 5 am – which if you have a teen who likes to stay out late, certainly becomes an issue at home with relation to curfews.


If a parent or guardian is with the teen, this is one of the exceptions to the rule, as is travel to or from school functions or a job (so long as the employer provides written verification.)


Two categories of license holders that have always raised some serious debates when discussing the high accident statistics are probationary license holders and temporary instruction permit holders. Probationary holders are usually 16 or younger and they are not allowed to drive between midnight and 6 am. The exceptions here are if they have a parent with them or they're going to or from school activities or work (similar to the restrictions for drivers under 17.)


Temporary instruction permit holders 17 and under, are not allowed to drive between midnight and 6 am unless they are with a parent with a valid license, which really goes without saying. There are a variety of other restrictions based on age that deal with making sure everyone buckles up etc.


There is one provision of this law that seems to be making a significant difference to the traffic accident statistics, and that is the moving violation section. This section states that if a young driver, under the age of 16, is convicted of a moving violation within the first 6 months of getting their driver's license, they have to travel with a parent in the car with them for six more months after the conviction – or until they turn 17.


You have to know this would totally freak out a young teen wanting to show off to their friends. However, that's the general idea of this law – show teens that there are consequences to everything they do, serious consequences.

Jeremiah Denslow is a Dayton Divorce Lawyer in Dayton Ohio with Denslow Law Firm. The firm specializes in family law. Jeremiah also practices Dayton criminal defense. To learn more, visit Denslowlaw.com.