American Academy of Pediatrics GDL Recommendations

Seth Smiley from the Smiley Law Firm here with today’s edition of the Parents of Teen Drivers Facebook Group, we are discussing a positive program by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which they call the Graduated Driver’s License.

They have some specific requirements that they are working on getting States to adopt on their behalf.

These recommendations include getting a learner’s permit at 16 and keeping it for six months, 50 hours behind the wheel, and having only one passenger until the age of 18. I particularly like the last one, as it helps lessen distractions for new teen drivers.

There are nine recommendations, and only a few states have adopted them already – most have only implemented three or four of them. So there is more work to be done to get these recommendations more widely used.

They want to ensure teen drivers are as safe as possible behind the wheel. There are rules such as abusing cannabis or alcohol, leading to a suspended license. They also address many of the elements that are causing accidents amongst teen drivers.

They have some lobbyists who are working on legislatures to pass these recommendations and make the rules more strenuous.

If anybody knows more information about the American Academy of Pediatrics or had any questions or comments, please let me know by posting below or sending me a direct message. I hope to learn more about their program and potentially reach out to them to get more information for the group.

Thank you.