Five Tips for New Drivers

For many teens, driving is one exciting step towards independence and adulthood. But as we all know, driving is a privilege, not a right. The Secretary of State closely watches new drivers, and any Michigan driver's license attorney knows that for teens to successfully keep their driving privileges, they must strive to avoid traffic crashes and violations. The Secretary of State may restrict or suspend drivers who get in at-fault crashes or incur traffic violations, such as speeding. Below are five tips for new drivers that will help them retain their driving privileges and avoid the need for driver's license appeal in Michigan.

1.  Don’t drink alcohol or use drugs and drive. While this is rather obvious, it’s also important and unfortunately sometimes overlooked. The Secretary of State may react to a teen’s drug or alcohol use while driving by suspending and revoking his or her license if he or she has been convicted of one or more alcohol- or drug-related driving convictions. Furthermore, this is a criminal conviction with possible jail time, fines, and costs. This can also affect job prospects down the road for the convicted individual. Those with suspended or revoked driver's licenses have the right to appeal, but this process can be lengthy and costly.

2.  Avoid cell phone use while in cars. Many teens believe that cell phone use and driving are perfectly safe, but studies have shown that cell phone use distracts the driver's attention from the road and reduces safety.  It takes time to learn the skills and gain the experience to successfully drive. New drivers are more likely to be successful if all their attention is focused on driving. Therefore, new drivers should not use cell phones while driving.

It's now state law that new drivers cannot use cell phones and drive. This new law is known as Kelsey's Law and became effective in March 2013. It applies to teens with Level I or Level II graduated driver's licenses. If teens are made aware of the cell phone prohibitions outlined in Kelsey's Law, it should help to reduce driver distraction and thus avoid traffic collisions and violations. This, in turn, should help to reduce the need for driver's license restoration in Michigan.

3.  Limit the number of passengers in your car.  Having friends in your car can be distracting. One is more likely to be engaged in conversation instead of focused on the road. It's this distraction that can lead to violations. The Michigan graduated licensing system limits the number of passengers under 21 years of age that can drive with teen drivers. However, even with passengers over 21 years of age, teen drivers must be careful. It's important to avoid suspensions and therefore the need for Michigan driver's license restoration. 

4.  Don’t drive in situations you aren’t comfortable with.  The act of driving is similar to doing any skilled job; you need to build up the skills and experience to do the job well. It's better to gradually build up your skills, as opposed to finding yourself in a situation you are not comfortable with. Let's take nighttime driving, for example. It makes sense to gradually gain experience on neighborhood roads, as opposed to main thoroughfares. The same goes for inclement weather conditions.

5.  Don’t drive outside of your restrictions.  To avoid the need for driver's license restoration in Michigan, teen drivers should obey their driving restrictions.  New drivers are put on restrictions, and as they gain driving experience, those restrictions loosen. The restrictions are in place to help new drivers slowly gain the experience they need and to avoid violations and crashes. Therefore, new drivers need to make sure they drive within their restrictions.  Penalties for driving outside of restrictions can be severe:  further restrictions or even suspended driving privileges.

Following these common sense steps should help new drivers avoid collisions and common traffic violations, which can result in suspensions. This, in turn, should help teen drivers avoid the costly and time-consuming process of Michigan driver's license reinstatement.