District 11 Representative Brian Best says the Iowa House Transportation Committee is putting together a new bill, potentially easing restrictions on current school driving permits. Under this new legislation, the school and farm work permit would be combined into one new minor’s driving license instead of two separate entities. Students who are not yet 16 years old but have completed driver’s education would qualify for this permit, allowing them to drive unaccompanied by a fully licensed guardian to and from school, extracurricular activities, work, and a service station. A student with this permit would be able to drive 25 miles away and would be allotted an hour before and after the event to drive, but not after that specific time frame. The new driving privileges would allow students to drive to a non-farm job and have three residences instead of just one they can drive to themselves. Parents or guardians of the student would have to submit written consent to the Department of Transportation for approval of the work and residence location before the student can drive unsupervised. Concerns are being raised about this new legislation, as giving teen drivers more independence could potentially increase the risks of accidents for themselves and other drivers on the road. Harsher penalties will be enforced on those who violate the rules to ensure teens are following the restrictions. Those in violation would lose their permit for three months and have to wait an additional three months before being able to apply for their intermediate driver’s license at 16. The bill is still being worked on by a subcommittee and is set to be considered by a full committee before the deadline on Feb. 15.
