Luckily for current students, most have managed to remain unaffected by the recent changes in drivers license requirements. Those who were already “in the system,” (had received their learner’s permit, farm permit, restricted license or drivers license) by January 1 of this year were grandfathered in by the old law and will experience no change.
This caused a surge of teenage applicants at the Department of Motor Vehicles as the holidays and new year drew closer. Many narrowly went unscathed by the new legislation, getting their permits in the last few days of 2009.
Sophomore Devon Lohrenz applied for her learner’s permit Dec. 31 to escape the looming new restrictions.
“The line looped around five or six times and at noon people were talking about how they had been waiting there since eight in the morning,” Lohrenz said. “Everybody was ticked that the law changed.”
The opposition caused by the law’s inconveniences is even stronger amongst the unlucky few who didn’t manage to obtain permits. They have to wait an extra year to finally get their much-anticipated licenses and at sixteen can possess only a “lesser restricted license.”
“The line looped around five or six times and at noon people were talking about how they had been waiting there since eight in the morning,” Lohrenz said. “Everybody was ticked that the law changed.”
The opposition caused by the law’s inconveniences is even stronger amongst the unlucky few who didn’t manage to obtain permits. They have to wait an extra year to finally get their much-anticipated licenses and at sixteen can possess only a “lesser restricted license.”
They will also be prohibited from all cell phone use while driving.
Sophomores Nadia Vossoughi and Jordan Jacobs have yet to apply for their permits, and both wish the law would not have changed.
“I don’t like [the change] one bit actually,” Jacobs said.
“I don’t like [the change] one bit actually,” Jacobs said.
Vossoughi agreed.
“I think you’re responsible enough at sixteen, and you have more practice that way for when you’re actually totally on your own,” Vossoughi said.
Sophomores aren’t the only ones who are subject to the new regulations. Junior Lucas Smith has lost his right to drive for several months.
“I have to now start over and go through the whole process again to get a license because I never got around to renewing it earlier,” Smith said.
“I have to now start over and go through the whole process again to get a license because I never got around to renewing it earlier,” Smith said.
The new rules also ensure an extra year of hauling around younger siblings for many students. Sophomore Guin Toalson has not yet gotten her permit and her older brother junior Colin Toalson drives her when her parents can’t. But Guin Toalson isn’t sorry the law changed and actually embraces the extra time to become more comfortable driving.
“I feel like it worked out well for me because I don’t like driving and they raised the age. So it gives me more time to prepare myself mentally,” Toalson said.
