A bill that would allow younger teens to get behind the wheel is making its way to the Arizona Legislature.
Some advocacy groups are calling that move unsafe.
The bill would allow teens to get their permit at age 15, six months earlier than the state's current law.
Rep. Kelly Townsend of Mesa is proposing the measure. She planned to introduce the bill Tuesday but held off to do more research.
Advocacy groups like AAA are against the idea. They say House Bill 2080 will just put lives in danger.
They are proposing somewhat of a compromise, saying teens could be allowed to get permits at 15 but only if they take driver training through an approved school.
"A permit age of 15, as research indicates, is just too young," said Linda Gorman with AAA Arizona. "Brains are still forming, that judgment-making ability is the last thing to form."
AAA said research shows that lowering the permit age to 15 can actually increase the fatality rate by 7 percent.
AAA also said in some states, like Nebraska and Kansas, kids can get their permit at just 14 years old. They said it's because the kids are living and driving in a rural area like farmland.
COMMENT:
In my opinion, ANYTHING that gets kids additional training and experience on the road is a GOOD thing.
At 15, brain are still forming, but at 15 and a ½ (current law) they are not?? Puh-lease.
Getting kids an extra six months of training behind the wheel, before they can actually get on the road by themselves at age 16---how is this BAD?
What do you think??