Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - New changes for young Indiana drivers go into effect July 1.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, teen drivers are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. In 2008, nine people between 16-19 years old died every day from motor vehicle injuries.
In 2009, Indiana decided to try and do something about passing the Graduated Driver's License bill into law. The final component of the legislation will go into effect this week.
"It's going to take longer to get those. The dates, ages to get a learner's permit or driver's license is now going to be longer," said BMV Commissioner Andy Miller.
Currently in Indiana, you only have to be 15 years of age to secure a learner's permit. As of July 1, applicants will have to be 15 years old and 180 days - or 15 and a half - to be awarded a learner's permit if they have taken a driver's education course. If you have not taken driver's education, you will have to wait until your 16th birthday to get the permit.
"The other big change is, you must hold a learner's permit for at least 180 days before you can apply for a probationary driver's license. Today, that is only 60 days," Miller said.
The law also requires a driver to be 16 years and 180 days - or 16 and a half - before you can get a drivers license in Indiana and 16 years, 270 days if you have not had driver's education. Also, from now on, applicants have to affirm in a test that they have undergone 50 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours of driving at night.
"Throughout the nation, we have realized that teen drivers are the ones most likely to have accidents. A lot of times, they are fatal accidents and all the things included in that graduated driver's license law are things proven around the country that reduce teen fatality and driver's license accidents," Miller said.
The new law also applies no matter when you receive your learner's permit or driver's license.
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