Illinois Graduated Driver Licensing System

              Tips for Teens
Lack of experience puts teenagers at a greater risk of being
involved or dying in a car accident. The more you practice,
the better you will handle different situations on the road.
Here are a few extra tips for safe driving:
✓ Drive sober (the BAC limit for persons under 21 is .00).
✓ Ride with sober drivers.
✓ Always wear your safety belt.
✓ Get to know your car.
✓ Be a defensive driver.
✓ Stay alert.
✓ Focus on your driving; avoid distractions such as using a
cell phone.
✓ Don’t load up your car with more passengers than allowed
by law.
✓ Don’t get stressed out.
✓ Check your rearview mirror before and after you brake.
✓ Follow all traffic safety rules.
✓ Don’t drive faster than you can handle, and don’t exceed
the posted speed limit.
✓ Never let friends drive your car.
Tips for Parents
The Graduated Driver Licensing System requires you to spend
25 hours in the car with your teenager behind the wheel.
Encourage your teenager to develop safe driving habits and
skills. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
✓ Take your teenager for driving practice under various
conditions and practice different skills.
✓ Take your teenager to get a license only when you and
your teenager feel the time is right.
✓ Set a good example when you drive.
✓ Provide a safe vehicle for practice sessions.
✓ Work with your teenager’s driver education instructor.
✓ Meet with your insurance agent.
✓ Create a sober driving contract.
✓ Inform your teen what to do in case of an accident. Jesse White
Secretary of State
Illinois
Graduated
Driver
Licensing
System
Myth
The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) System means that you
cannot get a driver’s license until age 18.
Fact
The GDL System allows a person to get a license when they
are age 16; however, there are certain rules a driver must
adhere to from age 16 to age 18.
Myth
Teenagers are safer drivers than most because they have
better motor skills and are required to complete a driver
education course to get a license.
Fact
Teenagers account for 16 percent of the automobile deaths in
the country but make up only 6 percent of the driving
population. Contributing factors to this statistic include the
driver’s lack of experience and a greater tendency to take risks
and become distracted.
Parental Consent
A parent or legal guardian who has signed a consent form
permitting a minor under age 18 to apply for a driver’s permit
or license may withdraw the consent at any time prior to the
teen’s 18th birthday. The parent must send a written, notarized
request to the Secretary of State’s office. This action results in
the cancellation of the minor’s license.
For more information:
312-814-2905 • 217-785-1437
800-252-2904 (TTY)
Jesse White
Secretary of State
Driving Tips GDL Facts vs.Myths
Printed by authority of the State of Illinois.
DSD A 132.4 — GA 741 — March 2004