Teens speak out against driving bill

Despite statistics that show the measure has helped reduce teen fatalities in other states, opponents Saturday branded it as intrusive, discriminatory and a hardship on working teens.

The bill would set restrictions on the first four months teens have a driver's license, limiting the hours they could drive and the passengers they could carry.

Several young McDonald's employees took issue with the bill's ban on driving between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., saying it would cause practical problems.

"This takes a toll on being a teen-ager and puts a constriction on our lives, and I don't think it's fair," said Keith Alampi, who works a closing shift at McDonald's.

His single mother, with two sons, would not appreciate having to pick him up at 1 a.m. after his shift, he said.

Melissa Bohn, said she would have trouble arriving on time for work at 5 a.m. because of the provision.

"We shouldn't be punished because other people are making stupid mistakes," she said at the town hall meeting at the Clark County Government Center.

Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, said he organized the meeting because he received so many calls in opposition to the bill. Out of about 200 calls, only two people supported the bill, he said.

But after the 90-minute meeting, the bill's sponsor, Assemblywoman Barbara Cegavske, said she didn't see a need to change the bill further and expects it to pass the Assembly this week.

Last week, the restrictions were shortened to last four months instead of the original 12 months.

Twenty-seven other states have established graduated driver's licenses for young drivers, operating on the premise that inexperienced drivers need more time behind the wheel with fewer distractions to reduce teen deaths.

In 1997, 51 teen-agers died in Nevada traffic accidents, making them the biggest teen killer. Nationwide, 7,400 teens died in 1997 in traffic accidents.

"We're not trying to restrict their activities, we're trying to keep them alive," said bill supporter Erin Breen of Safe Community Outreach.

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