California: raising driving age to 18?

[ShotokanKid]

I keep hearing this rumor but can't find any real information on it. Can someone give me a link that will tell me if this is true or not?

[Ridge_hand]

I have not heard anything but rumors either. I'll look around for any articles about it.

[ysc87]

there are people pushing for it, but not even close to passing yet... either the state leg. heard it already and threw it away, or it's still in the long and painful process of getting a bill to pass. it's doubtful that it'll get approved.

[ShotokanKid]

Some people seem so sure that it has been passed and the cut-off date is 1990 (I wouldn't be able to drive until I'm 18 if they did) Others say it's 89, or 91, and others say it was never passed. I can find nothing on it anywhere.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Took me only a few minutes to find what I think you're looking for.

For future reference, state and national legislatures all have websites where you can look up laws, bills and other actions undertaken by the legislatures. Good stuff to know if you're a concerned citizen who actually wants to have a voice in the government...

I got this off of: http://www.legislature.ca.gov/port-bilinfo.html and simply searched for "driver's license".

You can also search for "provisional licensing program" to find all the bills they are trying to make in regards to the current laws and statutes, but as far as I can tell, all they are doing is trying to make more penalties for violations of the law and some more minor restrictions here and there (but nothing about age).

As it stands:

1) Existing law, the Brady-Jared Teen Driver Safety Act of 1997,

allows for the issuance of a driver's license to a person at least 16

years of age but under 18 years of age under the provisional

licensing program.

This was just cut and pasted from several bills found using the Bill Search option.

So yes, the permanent driver's license is 18 years of age, but you can start applying for the provisional at age 15 1/2, I believe. At any rate, you're going to have to go through DMV to get all this info anyway, so you can always check up with them when you apply.

[ShotokanKid]

But one living in California can legally drive at 16?

[Pacificshore]

Yes, with a provisional license.

[taiji fajin]

Raise the driving age, lower the drinking age, IMO (and yes, I am already old enough to drink, not just trying to do it sooner ). This gives kids a period to get over the excitement of beginning to drink, and takes away the excitement of legally drinking. They get the majority of it out of their system, and better, they have a couple years to learn their tolerances and how it affects them before they get behind the wheel of a car.

[Pacificshore]

Here in California we have a zero tolerance for drinking and driving for juveniles. They can have a .01 blood alcohol, and BAM...no more license to drive.