Starting July 1, teens in Colorado will see some significant changes in who they can and cannot drive around with in their vehicles.
Gov. Bill Owens has signed into law SB36, a measure that restricts the number of under-21 passengers a minor driver can have in their vehicle. For the first six months that they have their licenses, teens cannot have any under-21 passengers in their vehicle. Between six months and a year, they are allowed to carry one such passenger, and all restrictions are removed after a year, according to the Durango Herald.
The bill makes exceptions for direct family members in the car; however, an earlier amendment to the bill that allowed written parental permission for additional non-family passengers was shot down in the Senate.
The new law also bans teens from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless a parent or guardian accompanies them, the Herald reported.