In Colorado, prospective teenage drivers will need to spend more time studying the traffic laws before they are allowed to operate a motor vehicle.
Beginning in April 2026, in order to receive a learning permit, drivers under the age of eighteen must complete thirty hours of driver education. A four-hour driver awareness course must be finished by drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 in order to obtain a permit or license.
“Basically what the state of Colorado is saying is, we need more training, we need more education,” Steve Rohman, owner of Community Driving School stated.
According to Rohman, drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 might obtain their permit without completing an approved driver education program. Obtaining a license requires completing supervised driving hours and having a permit for at least a year.
According to him, eighteen-year-olds might theoretically obtain their license and permit on the same day and could avoid attending class and participating in supervised driving sessions.
“I think from 16 to 18, you started to see some of the kids waiting to get their license, so they didn’t have to do some of the requirements because of the cost, because obviously there is a cost as well,” Rohman stated.
The 30-hour training will go deeply into driving foundations and traffic laws.
“Everything from your car registration to getting insurance all the way up to stop sign regulation, so it really covers a lot more information than what’s in the Colorado handbook,” Rohman stated.
According to Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA, the new legislation will improve crash data pertaining to young adults.
“What we know is that Colorado crashes and fatalities were skyrocketing, that 2022 was the most deadly year on our roadways in recorded history,” McKinley stated. “Folks who are 17 and 18, 19, and 20, they’re among the most dangerous drivers, in part because they were historically able to skip out on driver’s ed altogether.”
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McKinley claimed he had spent years collaborating with Colorado lawmakers to advocate for an adjustment to these requirements.
“We’d looked at driver’s education as something we could do to improve driving in Colorado,” McKinley stated. “By improving driving, we lower the crash rate, and that’s proven. And in lowering the crash rate, we save lives and save Coloradans money, at least with regard to what they’re paying and insurance.”
The 30-hour training will cost drivers money, but according to McKinley, there are state-approved online courses available for less than $100. Certain ones just cost $30.
“Of all the investments you could make in a new driver, investing in education is probably the most price wise and sensible one because you’re going to see the benefits of that investment almost immediately,” McKinley stated.
He mentioned that driving schools and AAA might provide programming at a reduced cost in the upcoming years.
