Kansas Department of Revenue officials began preparing months ago for an onslaught of aspiring teenage drivers this month at local Division of Motor Vehicle offices.
That’s because the new graduated driver’s license law, which takes effect Jan. 1, includes a “grandfather clause.”
Teens who enter the driver’s licensing system before Jan. 1, obtaining a farm permit, instruction permit or restricted license, will fall under the old licensing guidelines and avoid new rules restricting travel except to work and school, the number of passengers in their vehicle, and the use of wireless devices.
“There already has been an influx,” said Terry Mitchell, chief driver's license examiner with the Department of Revenue. “On days kids are out of school, we've been really busy.”
DMV employees have been advised not to take off much time from work in the last weeks of December, “because we’re expecting a larger than normal crowd,” Mitchell said.
On Tuesday, numerous teenagers went to the local DMV office at the Hutchinson Mall and took tests to obtain permits and licenses.
Mitchell said teens who qualify to enter the driver's licensing system now will likely get in. Over the past six months, the state has distributed a plethora of information, including brochures and posters, to spread the word about the new rules under the graduated driver's license law, he said.
Among the changes under the new law, drivers who are 16Ω and younger are prohibited from using a wireless communication device while driving except to report illegal activity or to call for help in an emergency.
“Yes, it's going to be difficult to enforce and yes, if we see someone using a cell phone and they appear to be under 16Ω, we can stop them for that,” said Gary Warner, a Kansas Highway Patrol technical trooper in Troop F, which serves south-central Kansas.
If an officer pulls over a young driver for using a cell phone and the driver ends up not being in that age range, “we won't detain them any longer,” Warner said. He did acknowledge such a situation "could escalate," however, if for example an officer sees open alcohol containers or contraband in the vehicle.
Although laws restricting young drivers from using cell phones are “good in theory,” there are still hands-free wireless phones many teens might try to use, Warner said.
