A new law proposed by Governor Terry Branstad will make younger drivers more accountable for their driving skills.

The law would require teens to carry a provisional license with limited privileges for one year following their 16th birthday without any accidents or traffic violations.

Once they pass, they could receive full driving privileges as soon as their 17th birthday.

It also would require all licensed drivers to take a practical driving test.

This law would be good for everyone who operates an automobile on Iowa’s roads.

How many of us have seen extremely young drivers making bad decisions behind the wheel, or worse yet, cause injuries or death?

While some aspects of the law need revising (like the clause prohibiting nighttime driving), others are good ideas.

Some portions of the law might establish a set number of supervised hours a teen must spend behind the wheel, supervised by retired state troopers.

Also, these provisional drivers would be limited to the number of passengers they could carry at one time.

This is a good addition to the current learner’s permit system we have in the state.

Few drivers are ready to take the wheel by themselves after only two years of parental supervision.

Some aspects of driving, like passing on a two-lane highway, are quite intimidating for young drivers.

This program might alleviate some of those fears and turn out a society of better drivers.

With teens causing a disproportionate number of accidents and deaths on the highway, this proposal actually could be a giant step in reducing the number of traffic fatalities cause by Iowa’s youngest drivers.