One passenger law in the first year of licensing in IL

[jake123456]

Jurisdiction

Illinois

In Illinois, there is a law that you can not have more than one unrelated passenger until 1 year after licensing or until 18 (whichever happens first). What would be the reprocussions if a cop pulled you over for this? What legal action could someone take if you got in an accident while you were violating this law even if you were not at fault?

 

[adjusterjack]

What would be the reprocussions if a cop pulled you over for this?

Fines and points. Maybe license suspension.

What legal action could someone take if you got in an accident while you were violating this law even if you were not at fault?

Obviously, anybody can sue anybody for anything, but if the driver didn't cause the accident there isn't likely anything happening besides the fines, points, and possible suspension for breaking the law.

Here's a summary of the law and its penalties:

Graduated Driver License

 

[army judge]

Passengers in the car with drivers under 18

When drivers under the age of 18 operate a motor vehicle, the teenager MUST limit and control their passengers.

Teenage drivers must:

Make all passengers wear seat belts
Not have more than one passenger in the front seat
Not have more passengers in the back seat than there are seat belts
For the first 12 months after getting a license, drivers under 18 cannot have more than one passenger under the age of 20 in the car. The driver's siblings or children do not count toward that limit.

The one-young-passenger limit ends after 12 months or when the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first. So, a 17 year old who has had a license for 12 months could have a car full of young passengers.

Passengers between the ages of 15 and 19 can actually be fined for being an over-the-limit young passenger riding in a car with a MINOR driver.

The law is unclear on how a police officer should decide which passenger gets charged with the fine.



If cited for any offenses, plead NOT guilty and consult a lawyer.


You might also face:

Traffic school or a drivers ed course.
Community service.
Driving restrictions involving certain times of day or certain locations.
Reclaiming your old school bus seat.
Losing your job...or getting a bus pass.
A bump in auto insurance rates. (If you're on your parents' policy...ooh, they're going to be mad.)


It is BEST to OBEY all laws, avoiding any penalties.


Reading material:

Illinois Graduated Driver's License Program & How It Works