No Road Tests for Georgia Teen Drivers

On April 23 Gov. Kemp signed an executive order which suspended road tests for teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 who have a learner's permit and wish to upgrade it to a driver's license. The requirements for automatically upgrading to a driver's license include having a learner's permit for one year and one day, no traffic violations and must have completed at least 40 hours of supervised driving.

Since the order was enacted over 19,000 teens have upgraded their permits and received a driver's license. Although this is great news for teenagers all over Georgia, there are significant risks in granting drivers licenses for young people without a proper assessment of their driving skills. A driver's license in the hands of an inexperienced and irresponsible person could result in a severe car accident. Not only that, but teenagers are more likely to text and drive and engage in other activities while driving. These factors put young drivers and other road users at risk of an accident, even more as the state starts to reopen and drivers are back on the road.

Gov. Kemp stated that a resolution was in the works to make roads safer and prevent risks from granting driver's licenses without a driving test. Only time will tell if this was the right decision for Georgia's drivers.