Many new state laws go into effect on Saturday

Mary Manning and Cy Ryan

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005 | 10:01 a.m.

Come Saturday, teens statewide will find more restrictions in getting an instructor's permit or a driver's license, one of more than 175 new laws passed by the Legislature this year that were set to become effective Oct. 1.

Tougher rules for earning a driver's license might allow parents to rest easier, some parents and teens agreed at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles office in Green Valley on Monday.

"It doesn't bother me at all," Debbie Trujillo said after her 16-year-old son, Mark Trujillo, had his photo taken for a six-month instructor's permit.

When the Trujillos moved to Las Vegas from Colorado recently, Mark had a learner's permit.

"I had a learner's permit for six months in Colorado," he said.

But the stricter laws in Nevada required him to start all over again.

For Justin Johnson, who said he was "15 and three quarters" years of age, the instructor's permit would give him time to find a driving instructor. Boulder City High School doesn't have driver's education classes, he said, and driver's ed is mandatory.

Johnson said he was acutely aware of the importance of safe driving habits.

Three years ago his mother, Lezlee Johnson, was killed on her job as a road construction flagger in May 2002 by a driver under the influence of narcotics.

Gov. Kenny Guinn named a law in honor of Johnson. "Lezlee's Law" imposes double penalties for reckless driving in all road construction zones, whether or not the area is fully marked as a construction site and even if workers are not in the construction site. Prior to the new law, double penalties were imposed only for speeding while workers were present.

Leaetta McGregor, Johnson's guardian, said, "It's not these kids I'm worried about. It's the other drivers on the road."

Unlike Johnson and Trujillo, there will be young drivers trying to beat the deadline on Saturday, said Kevin Malone, DMV public information officer.

"There are going to be many more who are going to be caught by surprise," Malone said.

That's what happened in 1998 when mandatory driver's education for teenagers went into effect, he recalled.

Under the new law, the age for getting a temporary driver's permit is raised from 15 1/2 to 16, and 16- and 17-year-olds are prohibited from driving passengers who are under 18 years old for the first three months after getting a license.

In addition, those learning to drive have to have 50 hours on the road and 10 of those hours has to be after dark. They also have to keep a log of their driving dates and times to prove they have had the experience, Malone said.

"There's no real reason to get a license the day you turn 16," Malone said. "The big question is, are you ready? Are you experienced enough to get behind the wheel of a car yourself?"

The law also imposes a curfew on all drivers under the age of 18 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Driver younger than 18 can only be on the roads between those hours if they are going to or coming from a scheduled event, Malone said.

A new Beginning Driver Teaching Guide is available for parents who are teaching their children how to drive, and a training video will be available at DMV offices this week for driving schools offering lessons behind the wheel, Malone said. A copy of the written guide is available at the DMV's Web site, www.dmvnv.com.