Marietta Injury Lawyer Blog
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 2,400 teenagers (aged 13 to 19) were killed in car accidents in 2019. This same year, an estimated 258,000 teenagers were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in car crashes. Georgia has recently enacted some changes to a law that was created to reduce the amount of teenage car accidents.
Joshua’s Law
In 2007, the state of Georgia enacted “Joshua’s Law.” On July 1, 2003, 17-year-old Georgia resident Joshua Robert Brown was driving on a two-lane highway in the rain when his vehicle began to hydroplane and crashed into a tree. The accident left Joshua severely injured and though he fought to stay alive for nine days, he finally passed away on July 9, 2003.
When originally enacted, this law required that 16-year-olds who wanted to get a state driver’s license had to first complete 30 hours of a driver education course approved by the state Department of Driver Services and also obtain at least 40 hours of supervised and documented driving experience. Additionally, at least six of these behind-the-wheel hours had to take place at night in an attempt to provide teen drivers with more experience driving after dark. In order to confirm the total amount of supervised driving experience, the teen needed to have a parent or legal guardian sign off on his driving hours. If a 16-year-old failed to complete an approved driver education course and the required hours of supervised driving, he would be unable to obtain his driver’s license until he turned 17.
Updated Joshua’s Law Requirements
As of July 1, 2021, Georgia has enacted new requirements under Joshua’s Law. These new requirements provide that in addition to 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds will also now be required to successfully complete the aforementioned Joshua’s Law component of Georgia’s driver training program. Prior to July 1st, teenagers who chose to wait until they turned 17 to test for their first license were exempt from the 30 hours of classroom/online instruction and the six hours of behind-the-wheel hours required under Joshua’s Law. Essentially, as a result of these changes, no one under the age of 18 in Georgia will be able to obtain their initial driver’s license without complying with all of the requirements of Joshua’s Law.
How to Satisfy the Updated Requirements
17-year-olds in Georgia can satisfy the updated Joshua’s Law requirements in four different ways, which include:
- Method #1
- Complete 30 hours of classroom instruction
- Complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training at a certified driving school
- Complete 40 hours of supervised driving with a parent or guardian (six of these hours must take place at night)
- Method #2
- Complete 30 hours of classroom instruction
- Complete 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a parent or guardian as stipulated within the Parent/Teen Driving Guide
- Method #3
- Complete 30 hours of online instruction with a certified virtual driver program
- Complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training at a certified driving school
- Complete 40 hours of supervised driving with a parent or guardian (six of these hours must take place at night)
- Method #4
- Complete 30 hours of online instruction with a certified virtual driver program
- Complete 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a parent or guardian as stipulated within the Parent/Teen Driving Guide