NEWS BRIEF

Wildfire a Wake Up Call

July 21, 2008 — Colorado's Oxyoke Fire near the town of Deckers reminds homeowners to take steps to lessen the chance of a wildfire destroying their homes. It's also a good time to review your home inventory and homeowners insurance policy to make sure you have the coverage you need.

Business Disaster Planning

New Mexico Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) Law

On January 1, 2000 New Mexico's Graduated Driver's Licensing Law (GDL) went into effect. The law is designed to give young drivers more experience behind the wheel and limit driving in high-risk situations before teenagers obtain their license. It requires anyone under the age of 18 applying for a learner's permit to complete a three-stage process to obtain a driver's license:

Stage 1:

To obtain a permit, you must:

Be at least 15 years old.
Obtain parental or guardian consent.
Complete or be enrolled in a state-approved driver education program.
Pass a written and vision test.
Pay an application fee.

So you've got the permit, now what?

Hold the permit for at least 6 months.
Complete a state-approved driver education program.
Drive with an adult 21 or older who has been licensed for at least 3 years.
Complete 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including 10 hours of nighttime driving. A responsible adult needs to sign off on the logged time.
Maintain a clean driving record for 90 days preceding application for a provisional license.
Do not drink and drive. Even a .02% blood alcohol content-barely one drink-could result in a 6-month license revocation for drivers under 21.

Stage 2:

To get a provisional license, you have to:

Complete stage 1 successfully.
Be at least 15 ½ years old.
Pass a behind-the-wheel driving test.

So, you've got the provisional license, what are the rules?

Teen drivers must hold the provisional license for at least 12 months.
Unless a licensed driver aged 21 or older is in the car, a provisional license holder can't have more than one passenger in the vehicle under the age of 21 who is not an immediate family member.
There's no driving between midnight and 5 a.m., unless accompanied by a licensed, responsible adult. Exceptions may include work permits, school or religious functions, family & medical emergencies.

Stage 3:

To get your full-unrestricted driver license, you must:

Complete stage 2 successfully.
No convictions for traffic violations 90 days preceding application.
No traffic violations pending at the time of application.

What is Graduated Drivers Licensing?
Graduated Drivers Licensing FAQ's
Teen Driving Statistics

How Medical Bills are Paid After an Auto Accident

When you buy auto insurance you need to think about what actually happens when you're in an accident and need to use it...

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Updated: February 28, 2007 1:52 PM
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