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More Training Possible for New Drivers

cyberdriveillinois.com

There's speculation some teenagers put off getting their drivers licenses until they're 18 to avoid Illinois' graduated drivers license program.  There's a chance those young motorists would be required to get more training in the future too.

Getting a drivers license at age 16 entails taking class, and racking up lots of hours behind the wheel with a parent. But wait a couple of years, and a teen can bypass many of the provisional restrictions. Basically all they have to do is pass a drivers' test and they can get a license. Secretary of State Jesse White's concerned that leads to inexperienced drivers on Illinois' roads. He's considering additional training:

"It could be online computer training, it could be ... reading a book ... it could be a multitude of things ... to make sure these individuals have received the kind of training that they need in order to navigate properly on our roads." - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White

White says he's looking into the extra training for drivers between the ages of 18 and 21, though he says there's a possibility of extending it to age 25.

Secretary of State's website

Current requirement for Illinois Graduated License Program

Illinois Rules of the Road

Illinois Public Radio's Amanda Vinicky contributed to this report