Georgia Driver Responsibility Act - TADRA
Understanding the driving laws that govern your state or community is important to your safety and the safety of those around you. The Driver Responsibility Act is known in Georgia as TADRA (Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act). Like a number of other states, Georgia put TADRA into place to reduce the number of auto accidents throughout the state.
The law was designed to significantly change the way new drivers earn and maintain the privilege of driving. TADRA provides controlled environments for new drivers to gain experience. Though the law focuses on young drivers, it also includes provisions designed to affect drivers over the age of 21, particularly with regard to DUI prevention and regulation.
TADRA involves a three-step educational process that allows young drivers to slowly gain experience and confidence behind the wheel:
Step One – An Instruction Permit is granted to 15 year olds upon successfully passing a written examination. While a driver has this permit he or she must be accompanied by a licensed passenger who is at least 21 years old, while driving.
Step Two – An Intermediate or Class D license is granted to drivers between the ages of 16 and 18, who have had an Instructional Permit for 12 months, and have passed a driving test and completed a driver’s education course approved by the Department of Driver Services. Additionally, the driver must have completed at least forty hours of other supervised driving experience, including at least six hours at night.
While a driver has an Intermediate License he or she cannot drive between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The driver is also no permitted to have any passengers in their car, aside from their immediate family, for the first six months they are in possession of a Class D license.
During the second six month period of the Class D license period, the driver is not permitted to have more than one passenger in their vehicle, aside from immediate family members, under the age of 21.
Finally, during the second year a driver has a Class D license, he or she cannot drive with more than 3 passengers, aside from immediate family members, that are under the age of 21.
Step Three – A Full License, or a Class C driver's license, is granted to drivers 18 years of age or older, who have had a class D license, and have incurred no major traffic violations during the previous 12 months. A driver is not eligible to receive a Class C license if they have been convicted of the following: DUI, evading a police officer, reckless driving, hit and run, drag racing or any other violation that leads to 4 or more points on the driver’s license.
