Dangerous Roads newsletter: NYS laws around young drivers, passengers have room to improve

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Each year around this time, Washington, D.C.-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety puts out a "report card" evaluating each state’s traffic safety laws. New York scored pretty well this year, like they have in the past — but there’s room for improvement.

The report looks at laws for seat belts, helmets, child passenger safety, young drivers, impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and red-light running.

The changes it recommended for New York all have to do with underage drivers and passengers:

• Add a requirement that kids sit in the back seat until age 12.
• Prohibit novice teen drivers from all use of cellular devices (handheld, hands-free and text messaging) except in an emergency.
• Require beginning teen drivers to receive at least 70 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an adult licensed driver, up from the current 50.
• Prohibit novice teen drivers from unsupervised driving at night, or from having nonfamily teen passengers ride with them without adult supervision at any time of day.

The report notes that the fatal crash rate per mile driven is nearly three times as high for 16- to 19-year-olds as it is for those 20 and over. On Long Island, Newsday has previously reported that traffic crashes are the leading cause of accidental death among young people ages 5-19.

Currently, New York recommends children under 13 sit in the backseat, but that’s not legally required. Children are required to use a child safety or booster seat until age 8.

Drivers with junior licenses or learners’ permits, like other drivers, are allowed to use cellphones in "hands-free" modes in New York, although they are subject to steeper penalties if caught texting or holding their phone.

Junior license holders’ rights differ between New York City (where they are generally prohibited from driving), upstate and Long Island. In Suffolk and Nassau, teen junior-license holders are generally required to drive with a supervising, licensed adult, but there are certain exceptions, including at night. Upstate, junior license holders are granted broader freedom. (Find specific rules here.)

Overall, New York’s report card was decent. It was one of just five states to achieve a "good" score, along with Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.

That said, the report only examines the laws on the books, not how often they’re enforced on the street or adjudicated in court. Last week, I published a story about ticketing rates for dangerous driving violations on Long Island. Adjusted for traffic, Suffolk’s rate is lower than much of the state. Nassau's rate is higher, but it still hasn’t rebounded since falling during the pandemic.

Readers sound off

Below is a letter excerpt from Richard Siegelman, of Plainview, reacting to the article on ticketing.

"I want to know what percentage of drivers (1%?) ticketed for dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, aggressive driving, and driving while impaired or on a cellphone, are miraculously turned into safe, careful, law-abiding drivers?! To actually get such menaces off our roads and highways, such lawbreaking drivers require first-offense license revocations, vehicle impoundments, and arrests---followed by time behind jail or prison bars."

— Richard Siegelman, Plainview

Do you have an idea to get menacing drivers off our streets? Want to share other observations about what you're seeing on our roads? Email us at roads@newsday.com.

By Peter Gill

peter.gill@newsday.com