History

The Georgia General Assembly adopted Senate Bill 226 in 2005, now known of Joshua's Law in memory of Joshua Brown, who died in a vehicle accident at age 16 in 2003.

Significance

State Senator Preston Smith introduced the bill at the request of Joshua's parents, Alan and LuGina Brown. The Browns believed the accident might have been prevented if their son had had an opportunity to learn safe driving skills.

Features

Joshua's Law requires that 16-year-olds must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training through a state-certified driver's education course. They also must complete 40 hours of parent- or guardian-supervised driving, including six hours of night driving.

Considerations

Teens can bypass the certified training classes and driving if they wait until age 17 to get their license. They still must meet the supervised driving requirement.

Costs

Driver's education courses cost about $450 for classroom and driving instruction in 2010, according to joshuaslaw.org. The state adds a 5 percent fee to all traffic fines to provide funding for families that cannot afford the classes.

Source:

Joshua Brown Foundation: Joshua's Law

Joshuaslaw.org: Joshua's Law

More Information:

CDC.gov: Teen Drivers