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Massachusetts Graduated License Program - MA Graduated Drivers License Requirements
Massachusetts Graduated License Program - MA Graduated Drivers License Requirements
Massachusetts has its own version of the graduated drivers license system. The Massachusetts graduated drivers license laws target drivers under 18 years of age and aim at reducing the number of casualties among teen drivers. Instead of granting a teenage driver with full driving privileges right away, the Massachusetts graduated license program has the driver go through a number of stages, each stage with its own requirements and restrictions. When the driver passes all stages of the graduated license program, he or she is granted full driving privileges and all restrictions are removed.
The reason behind the graduated license law is the fact that teenage drivers face a very high risk of having a traffic accident during their first year of driving. The risk factors are numerous, but there couple of them that account for most of the traffic accidents.
Inexperience is the main risk factor new drivers have to worry about. You got your Massachusetts drivers license and that means that you are legally allowed to drive now. However, at this stage your driving skills are very limited and you possess just the basic driving skills. This is a very dangerous time for you as, according to the national stats, 20% of teenage drivers have a traffic accident during their first year of driving.
Surely, lack of driving experience is a risk factor, but how come the crash rates for newly licensed drivers under the age of 20 and over the age of 20 are not the same? They have the same number of driving hours behind their belts, so shouldn't they face the same risks? The reason why younger drivers have more traffic accidents is because they frequently fail to predict the consequences of their actions. Older drivers take active steps to avoid possible accidents - they drive at lower speed, keep longer distances from other vehicles and employ other accident avoidance techniques. Teenage drivers frequently overestimate their driving skills and combined with the complete absence of driving experience, this can lead to a disaster.
Massachusetts graduated drivers license laws were designed for correcting these behavioral risk factors and this is achieved in a number of ways: introduction of additional permit and license restrictions, compulsory drivers education classes that includes both classroom and behind the wheel hours and multiple licensing stages.
Massachusetts Graduated License Stages
In order to ensure that teens don't rush through the licensing procedure and have enough time to gain the required skills, the licensing procedure is divided into a number of separate steps or levels. Each step of the process has its own restrictions and requirements and as the applicants proceeds through these graduated license stages, new experience and skills are gained. Once the applicant meets all license requirements, he or she is granted with a full drivers license. At the moment, the Massachusetts graduated license program contains the following stages:
- Learners permit
- Junior operator license
- Full drivers license
You have to keep in mind that the Massachusetts graduated drivers license rules apply only to drivers who are under 18 years of age. If you are already older than 18, you can follow a simplified application procedure.
Massachusetts Drivers Permit
The first step of the process is applying for a learners permit. The minimum age for obtaining a permit is 16. If you are of this age, you may visit one of the RMV offices and take a Massachusetts permit test. The learners permit test has 25 multiple choice questions and you will need to answer at least 18 questions correctly. If you want to see what kind of questions will be on the test, you may take some Massachusetts practice permit tests.
Once you successfully pass the permit exam and get your learners permit, you can start practicing your driving skills. The learners permit must be held for at least six months before you can apply for a road skills test and get your drivers license. If your permit is suspended or canceled during this time, the waiting period is restarted, so you will need to wait for another 6 months from the date of reinstatement.
During the six months period, you must complete a Massachusetts drivers education program. A state approved class has 30 hours of classroom time, 12 hours of driving behind the wheel and 6 hours of in car observation. In addition to the drivers education class, the applicant must also complete at least 40 hours of supervised driving hours with a parent or legal guardian. Parents must also participate in at least two hours of the drivers education program unless they have already participated in the class within the last five years.
While you drive on your Massachusetts drivers permit, you must observe the following restrictions:
- No driving alone. You have to have another driver who is at least 21 years old, holds a valid drivers license and has at least one year of driving experience supervising you during the driving lessons.
- Curfew. You cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless the supervising driver is your parent or legal guardian.
Once you have held your learners permit for at least six months and competed the requirements of this stage, you can schedule a drivers test and get your junior drivers license.
Massachusetts Junior Drivers License
According to the graduated drivers license law, license applicants who apply for a drivers license before they turn 18 years of age are issued with a Massachusetts junior drivers license. The license allows you to drive without a supervising driver, provided you observe the following restrictions:
- Passenger restrictions. You can't have any passengers under the age of 18 present in the vehicle, unless they are members of your immediate family or you have a supervising driver who is at least 21 years of age and has at least one year of driving experience present.
- Curfew. No driving between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
These restrictions are removed from your license if you keep a clean driving record for the following six months. If you are caught breaking these rules, you will have to pay the fine as appointed by the court. In addition to that, you junior license will be suspended for a period between 60 days to a year. You can read more about the possible penalties in the Massachusetts drivers manual.
Once the graduated drivers license requirements are met, the license can be upgraded to a full unrestricted driver license.
