Driving restrictions for teenagers in Minnesota

Almost 45% of the teenagers who drive on the roads meet with accidents as per the road traffic team’s research in Minnesota. With the increasing accidents among young drivers, the Minnesota DMV has become very strict h in enforcing various driving restrictions on the teenagers in order to avoid accidents.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Minnesota is a private organization which sets up traffic and driving test rules in order to follow the Federal guidelines. With that great services that Minnesota DMV provides to its customers like conducting tests , address change, renewing licenses, taking pictures of candidates, distributing free pamphlets, providing new licenses and helping people who wish to take tests and other DMV services, processing your legal documents, and many others which most people use in their day to day life. Though Minnesota DMV is not so strict for over 18 licenses, it has tight rules for the teenage drivers. The licenses that Minnesota DMV provides can be used as State issued ID all over USA. You can get to know more about the teenage driving restrictions enforced by DMV Minnesota here

Below are some of the driving restrictions Minnesota has enforced for the teenage drivers.

Night time driving restrictions

Once a teenage gets his/her driving license, they are enforced night time driving restrictions in order to teach them safe driving. In this law, teenagers are restricted from driving between midnight and 5 AM. Certain exemptions enforced are:

• If you are driving for work purposes
• If your school hasn’t provided transportation facility, then you can drive from home to school and vice versa or special events.
• If you have no means of transportation, you can drive between home and work.
• You are also free to drive during night if you have a licensed driver above 25 years of age in the passenger seat.

However, the night restrictions are removed after the first 6 months of getting the driver’s license.

Cell phone calls & texting

A careless driver is always risking his and other’s lives. Cell phones and texting are great ways of distracting and disturbing a driver’s concentration when they are driving on the roads.

Though this law is applicable to everyone, calling and texting during driving is mostly done by the teenagers as they are more addicted to this. It is always illegal for under the age of 18 years to call and text during driving. You can use either hands free or speaker if you wish to pick up an emergency call like 911. You will be immediately noticed and given a ticket for doing this offense.

Drinking and Driving

Drinking is always dangerous. Driving and drinking is even more dangerous and risky for the driver as well as other drivers and passengers. If you are under 21 years of age, drinking is obviously an offense. However, if you drink and drive it is even bigger offense which is not allowed by Minnesota traffic police. Drivers under the legal drinking age with an alcohol concentration of more than 0.08 will have to undergo punishment as per DWI Laws and sanctions.

Limitations on the number of passengers

If you are a new license holder under 6 months, then you are not eligible to drive with more than 1 passenger of age below 20 years in your car. However, you can be exempted if an adult or a guardian or a parent can accompany you when you are driving. This restriction holds just for the first 6 months.

However, for the next 6 months of your licensure, at the max you are allowed to drive with no more than 3 passengers at or under the age of 20 years. Even for this condition you must be accompanied by your parents or guardian or an adult. Again, you can be exempted from following this rule in case the passengers who are below 20 years of age are members of the driver’s immediate family.

Many other restrictions are very much similar to those enforced for the adult drivers. However, it is worth mentioning here since the rules and regulations are to be strictly followed right from your puberty and once you follow them during your young age, it is easy to keep following up even after you grow up.

If you want to apply for a driver’s license/learning permit, then you should be at least 15 years of age. Driver’s license, insurance papers and car registration papers, should always be carried with you whether or not you are driving for long distance or short distance. Seat belts are must to wear, whether you are a teenager or adult, whether you are driving or sitting in the passenger’s seat. For obtaining a provisional license, every teenager should have passed 30 hours of supervised driving classes, including 10 hours of night driving verified by a guardian.