S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2678--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 20, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  SKARTADOS  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Transportation --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
   drivers between sixteen and twenty-five years of age to take and  pass
   the  national  safety council course, or a similar nationally approved
   course approved by the department of motor vehicles in order to obtain
   a license or upon conviction of a moving violation
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law
 is amended by adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows:
   (C-1) (I) AS A PREREQUISITE TO RECEIVING A LICENSE, AN APPLICANT FOR A
 CLASS  D  LICENSE  WHO IS AT LEAST SIXTEEN BUT NOT MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE
 YEARS OF AGE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO TAKE  AND  PASS  THE  NATIONAL  SAFETY
 COUNCIL  COURSE,  OR  A  SIMILAR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PSYCHOLOGY-BASED,
 BEHAVIORAL COURSE APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT, RELATING TO YOUNG DRIVER'S
 ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS BEHIND THE WHEEL.
   (II) A DRIVING SAFETY COURSE DESIGNED FOR DRIVERS YOUNGER  THAN  TWEN-
 TY-FIVE YEARS OF AGE MUST:
   (A)  BE  A  FOUR  HOUR CLASSROOM-BASED COURSE THAT UTILIZES COMPELLING
 VIDEOS, PEER DISCUSSIONS, HIGHLY INTERACTIVE TEAM EXERCISES, ROLE  PLAY-
 ING AND WORKBOOK EXERCISES SPECIFIC TO YOUNG DRIVERS;
   (B) INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ON:
   (1)  THE DEFINITION OF "PREVENTABLE COLLISION" AND THE CHARACTERISTICS
 OF A PREVENTABLE COLLISION;
   (2) THE TRAFFIC LAWS OF THIS STATE;
   (3) ISSUES COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS  INVOLVING
 DRIVERS  YOUNGER  THAN  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  OF AGE, INCLUDING THE CONSE-
 QUENCES OF MAKING POOR DECISIONS, TAKING UNNECESSARY RISKS,  IDENTIFYING
 BEHAVIOR  THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED, RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC DRIVING
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01649-04-7

 A. 2678--A                          2
 
 CHOICES AND BEHAVIORS, DRIVING WITHOUT SEAT BELTS, SPEED  KILLS,  RISKS,
 CHALLENGES  AND  TECHNIQUES ASSOCIATED WITH NAVIGATING INTERSECTIONS AND
 RIGHT-OF-WAY SITUATIONS, FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY, AGGRESSIVE  DRIVING  AND
 ROAD RAGE;
   (4) MANUAL, VISUAL, AND COGNITIVE DISTRACTIONS RELATIVE TO CELL PHONES
 AND  HANDS FREE DEVICES, USE OF IN-VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEMS, ADJUST-
 MENT OF CONTROLS, USE OF GPS AND ROAD MAPS AND MULTI-TASKING WHILE DRIV-
 ING A VEHICLE AND THE ROLE OF PEER PRESSURE IN THOSE SITUATIONS;
   (5) IMPAIRED DRIVING RELATED TO FATIGUE;
   (6) IMPAIRED DRIVING RELATED TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL;
   (7) TECHNIQUES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL HAZARDS ON THE ROAD AND
 CONSEQUENCES OF UNSAFE DRIVING BEHAVIORS;
   (8) THE EFFECT OF POOR DRIVER DECISION-MAKING ON THE FAMILY,  FRIENDS,
 SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY OF A YOUNG DRIVER; AND
   (9)  THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING CONTROL OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DRIVING
 SITUATIONS BOTH AS A DRIVER AND AS A PASSENGER; AND
   (C) REQUIRE A WRITTEN COMMITMENT PLAN BY THE  STUDENT  TO  FAMILY  AND
 FRIENDS  WHEREBY THE STUDENT COMMITS TO APPROPRIATE AND RESPECTFUL DRIV-
 ING BEHAVIORS.
   (III) ANY DRIVER AT LEAST EIGHTEEN BUT NOT MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
 OF AGE WHO IS CONVICTED OF ONE  OR  MULTIPLE  MOVING  VIOLATIONS  FOR  A
 SINGLE  TRAFFIC  STOP  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED  TO TAKE AN EIGHT-HOUR COURSE
 APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   (A) THE COURSE CURRICULUM MUST BE AN EIGHT HOUR CLASSROOM-BASED COURSE
 AND MUST INCLUDE INSTRUCTION REGARDING:
   (1) PROVEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES THAT LEAD TO EFFECTIVE  BEHAVIORAL
 CHANGE  SUCH  AS DR. WILLIAM GLASSER'S "CHOICE THEORY", AS IT RELATES TO
 BEHIND-THE-WHEEL DRIVING BEHAVIOR;
   (2) WHY DRIVERS DO OR DO NOT CHOOSE TO  OBEY  TRAFFIC  LAWS  WITH  THE
 PRIMARY FOCUS ON BEHAVIORS RATHER THAN EXCUSES; AND
   (3) ADDITIONAL PROBLEM DRIVER BEHAVIORS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
 HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH PRESCRIPTIVE AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS, INCLUD-
 ING  SYNERGISM;  IMPACTS  OF  DRIVING  WITH  EXCESSIVE SPEED; IMPACTS OF
 RIGHT-OF-WAY VIOLATIONS; DANGERS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING;  PROPER  PASSING
 AND  FOLLOWING  DISTANCES;  AGGRESSIVE  DRIVING  BEHAVIORS AND THE HUMAN
 ABILITY TO CHOOSE BEHAVIOR.
   (B) THE COURSE SHALL:
   (1) ENCOURAGE THE PROBLEM DRIVER TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND HIS OR  HER
 OWN ATTITUDES IN VARIOUS DRIVING SITUATIONS; AND
   (2)  TEACH THE PROBLEM DRIVER THAT POOR BEHAVIORAL CHOICES MADE BEHIND
 THE WHEEL OFTEN RESULT IN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING MOTOR VEHI-
 CLE VIOLATIONS, OR ACCIDENTS, AND THAT THE DRIVER SHALL  APPRECIATE  THE
 RESPONSIBILITY  PLACED  UPON  EACH  DRIVER TO CONFORM HIS OR HER DRIVING
 CONDUCT FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER MOTORISTS, PEDESTRIANS AND THEMSELVES.
   (C) THE TRAINING SHALL BE  HIGHLY  INTERACTIVE,  CLASSROOM-BASED,  AND
 ENGAGING, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDIA.
   §  2. The commissioner of the department of motor vehicles will estab-
 lish an application fee  for  the  driver  safety  course  described  in
 section  one  of this act, as he or she deems appropriate. The fee shall
 be paid by applicants for a class D license who are  under  the  age  of
 twenty-five.    All revenues generated by such fees shall be expended to
 cover the costs of implementing the driver's safety course  program  and
 the processing of any information necessary to implementing the program.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date upon which it shall have become a law.