Title: An act relating to holders of intermediate drivers' licenses carrying nonfamily members.

Brief Description: Allowing intermediate licensees supervised by an experienced driver to carry nonfamily members.

Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill

• Allows the holder of an intermediate driver's license to carry passengers under the age of 20 if a supervising licensed driver with at least five years of driving experience is sitting in the front passenger's seat of the vehicle.

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 18 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Clibborn, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hudgins, Kristiansen, Lovick, Nixon, Romero, Shabro, Sullivan, Wallace and Wood.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 4 members: Representatives Cooper, Hankins, Hatfield and Morris.

Drivers between the age of 16 to 18 are issued an "intermediate" license which places certain restrictions on the conditions of driving. One of these restrictions requires that for the first six months after obtaining an intermediate license (or until the driver turns 18), the driver is prohibited from operating a vehicle carrying passengers under the age of 20, unless the passenger is a member of the driver's immediate family.

This bill revises the current restriction on drivers holding intermediate licenses for six months or less, to allow these drivers to operate a vehicle carrying passengers under 20 years of age, and who are not members of the driver's immediate family, if supervised by an individual who holds a valid driver’s license and has at least five years driving experience is sitting in the front passenger's seat at the time.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The current total prohibition on intermediate driver license holders carrying passengers under the age of 20 is more restrictive than the restrictions under an instruction permit. This bill helps to provide young drivers a similar level of flexibility as they had under an instruction permit, by allowing the driver to carry passengers under 20 when the driver is supervised by a parent or guardian.

Testified: Representative Dunshee, prime sponsor; Steve Lind, Traffic Safety Commission; and Sharon Foster, Washington Traffic Safety Education Association.