Virginia Drivers License: What Your Teen Needs to Know

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I taught all three of my children to drive with the assistance of Stafford County Public Schools' driving program. After enduring numerous nerve-wracking rides as a copilot and witnessing my kids back out of the driveway for the first time, I came to understand that new teen drivers in Virginia have important lessons to learn. The challenges on our roads, combined with inexperience, can result in serious consequences. It's essential for parents to collaborate with educators to consistently convey and reinforce this vital information.

100 Deadliest days of driving

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is designated as "the 100 deadliest days" for teen drivers by traffic safety experts. The weather is warm, school is ending, and it's prom and graduation season. During this time, our car insurance team sometimes witnesses the unfortunate details of teen traffic crashes when assisting our members and their families with auto claims.

Teen drivers and passengers

We know there's one rule that's key: Virginia's passenger restrictions. As a parent, I don't think anything was as challenging as enforcing provisional license passenger restrictions. And nothing as dangerous if I didn't. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for 15 to 18-year-olds in the United States. On top of that, research has found a teen's risk of being killed in a crash doubles with 2 passengers under the age of 21 and quadruples with 3 or more under 21 passengers.

Virginia's law regarding passenger restrictions for teen drivers

The details of the VA law are specific and can be a bit confusing. It's easy for parents to forget exactly how to enforce them! So, let's break it down.

1.  If your teen driver is under 18, only one passenger under 21 is allowed during the first year of their driver’s license, unless a parent (who is a licensed driver) is in the seat beside them.
2. After successfully holding a license for one year, and until your teen driver turns 18, up to 3 passengers under age 21 are allowed in these situations only: 

• • when driving to or from a school-sponsored activity
  • when a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old is in the seat beside you
  • in cases of emergence
  • Passenger restrictions do not apply to family members. 

Parents, hold your ground

These restrictions make good sense, right? So, we shouldn't make enforcing these restrictions difficult for others. It can be rather inconvenient at times, I know. When my kids were driving, there would be only one extra kid who needed a ride home from soccer practice, or my daughter would need a ride in a car that already had another passenger. I was always the bad guy and said no, but I encountered a few "cool parents" who did not. I did not allow an inconvenience or an unhappy kid to influence me against what I knew was best for my child.

Check your teen's maturity

After these restrictions are lifted, the maturity of your son or daughter should determine the number of passengers you allow while they are driving or riding with a friend. They may be kids just being kids, but if you're not sure about your teen's behavior or their friends while driving a car, you may want to hold off on allowing a number of peer passengers a little longer.

Have a safety code word

This includes times when your teen is a passenger. We even recommend not allowing them to ride with any teen driver who has less than one year of driving experience. Also, provide your teen with an easy way out of an unsafe situation by using a code word. Agree on a word or phrase that they can tell you or text you, and you will pick them up immediately, no questions asked.

Other risks for teen drivers

Passengers aren't the only danger to your teen's driving safety. In Virginia, 62 percent of the teen drivers who lost their lives in 2015 weren’t wearing seat belts. Other risk factors for teens include distractions—especially texting—and speed.

Distractions

For teen drivers, Virginia's cellular telephone law prohibits the use of cell phones while driving, regardless of whether a device is hand-held or not. You can only use a cell phone or any other telecommunications device for a driver emergency, and the vehicle must be lawfully parked or stopped. Parents have to lead by example and never drive distracted. You should also talk with your young driver about distractions and all of the responsibilities that come with driving. Everyone in our family signed the pledge to commit to distraction-free driving, and I regularly reminded my kids that a violation of distracted-driving laws could mean a delayed or suspended license.

Speed

Teen fatalities from speed have almost doubled the number of overall fatalities in Virginia, and 63 percent of those killed ran off the road. While these are horrible statistics, they serve as good reminders to keep the safety conversations going even after your teen has their license. We're sharing a great video below from the smart folks at IIHS that every parent should take the time to watch with their kids.

The bottom line? Enforce those critical passenger restrictions every single time. To protect our young drivers, parents need to make sure they stick to all of Virginia's new driver rules and guidelines. We highly recommend you prepare your teen driver for how to handle a car accident. Also, talk to your teen regularly about driving safety expectations and make sure they always buckle up. Take away driving privileges when necessary. And always model good driving habits for your kids, even when they're little. Then they will know what it looks like to drive safe and sound.