15 year olds now have the green light, and now it’s time to step on the gas.
Recently, Kentucky passed a new policy that allows 15 year olds to get their driver permits. This is a very monumental change, because originally the minimum age requirement was 16. Because of this, there are so many positives, negatives, and different questions that students and parents have.
On Tuesday, March 25, Governor Andy Beshear signed the bill, and it was effective immediately once this step was taken. Teenagers will still be required to complete 60 hours of practice driving, including at least 10 at night, and wait six months to apply for an intermediate license. Then, they would have to wait another six months to apply for a graduated license.
“I think it can definitely help families with transportation issues earlier,” Bullitt East principal Nate Fulghum said. “My biggest concern is that driving is directly correlated to safety and maturity”.
Fulghum grew up in Tennessee in the ‘90s and he was able to get his permit at 15 years old. This age is still pretty young, and maturity was one of the problems that he expressed, along with safety for all ages. These students are still vulnerable to problems like phone usage, overall road awareness, and patience.
In the United States, 26 states have this same law in effect. Because of this, it was only a matter of time before it started growing and expanding into other states. Each one has their own laws when it comes to what age people can get their restricted and full licenses, ranging from 15-16 years old.
“This has been coming for a long time,” assistant principal Stephen Crepps said. “Our neighboring states have similar policies, so a policy like this was expected at some point”.
When it comes to positives and negatives, Crepps is indifferent about the policy because in the end, parents/guardians ultimately make the decision of when driving will be allowed for their children. Student safety is a concern that he has for all ages, younger or older, and freshmen to seniors. Everyone is pulling into school and pulling out at the same time, which definitely causes a backup and potential accidents with students rushing to get to their destination (home, work, etc).
In addition to student safety, phone usage is a very common issue, and it’s been like this for a long time. Younger students are just as bad as older individuals, and adding them into the equation poses many risks.
“I’ve heard different things from both sides,” administrative secretary Jo Perkins said. “In my opinion, there are so many issues with 15 year olds having lots of phone usage and it’s the same way with 16 year olds. If we combine these groups on the road, it has the potential to be dangerous”.
Phone usage is a rapidly growing issue, and it makes everyday driving dangerous. In addition to this, it causes so many accidents because of people texting and not paying attention to their surroundings. According to the 2022 Distracted Driving Data by the National Highway Safety Administration, there were more than 3,300 people killed and nearly estimated 290,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes that involve distracted drivers. In 368 fatal traffic crashes – 12% of all distraction-affected fatal traffic crashes – at least one of the involved drivers was using a cell phone at the time, and a total of 402 people died in these crashes. When people are on their phones, no matter how long, they’re losing concentration on what’s around them. They have slower reaction times, brain activity reduction, and an overall increased risk of getting into a crash.
At the Bullitt East level, the No Pass/No Drive policy has a huge factor when it comes to 15 year olds and their academics in order to earn a designated parking spot. They have to obtain good grades at all times (no failing) in order to get a pass, and when they have a failing grade, they won’t get that opportunity.
“Hopefully no pass no drive will motivate some students to maintain better grades at a younger age,” Crepps said. “I have seen no pass no drive play a role in student achievement for some 16 year olds. Perhaps we will see the same now for 15”.
High school is such a monumental chapter of life, and driving is one of those big moments that everyone looks forward to once they get there. Crepps is one of the administrators in charge of the No Pass/No Drive policy. Academics can be a make or break factor that affects what students can/can’t do, and driving is one of those. For students that don’t focus on grades or attendance very well, this is a great motivator to do better in order to be able to drive to/from school everyday. Not a lot of students get this privilege, so it’s key to make the best of it and do everything possible to maintain it.
“No Pass/No Drive is a plus because it gets the students into the system much sooner,” Perkins said. “It would lower the failure and truancy rates for that age group, because if they want to keep their permit, they have to meet the state requirements”.
Along with Crepps, Perkins is one of the other administrators in charge of the No Pass/No Drive policy. This helps get a better understanding of what they need to do to better themselves in order to earn a pass. They can’t have any failing grades, attendance problems, or behavior incidents in Infinite Campus. For those that are struggling, this is a very good wakeup call to get their head in the game.
With Bullitt East constantly growing in numbers and working on construction, parking is a growing issue that will continue to cause some chaos in the future. Ever since construction began in late May 2024, parking has shrunk and people have had to improvise with spots. The new stretch of spots behind the football field is a huge help, but it overflows very quickly.
“Adding more drivers always creates a challenge on a campus with an infinite amount of space,” Crepps said. “We will do our best to accomodate all we can”.
No matter how many spots get added, they immediately get filled up. These are currently occupied by juniors and seniors, but it’s going to continue getting even more crowded once sophomores and some freshmen get their licenses.
Kentucky’s decision to lower the learner’s permit age to 15 marks a pivotal shift in how the state prepares its youngest drivers for the road. While the policy opens the door to earlier independence, it also raises important questions about maturity, responsibility, and safety. Making appointments is even more chaotic now, with the addition of younger students. The focus must remain on providing young drivers not just with licenses, but with the judgment and skills to use them wisely. After all, the future of our roads depends on how we prepare beginners to take that leap.
