GRADUATED LICENSES FOR YOUTHS MAKE SENSE

Illinois next year will become the 11th state to implement a graduated driver's license system, and if AAA Auto Club has its way, every state in the nation will do the same.

AAA has launched a national campaign for the system, and the AAA office in St. Louis hopes to convince Missouri lawmakers to pass a bill next session that would implement the system. Graduated licensing requires young, novice drivers to go through several licensing stages before receiving full driving privileges.

In Illinois, the new "Graduate to Safety" law includes a requirement that parents of young drivers certify that their child has completed at least 25 hours of supervised, behind-the-wheel instruction outside of driver's education classes. Young drivers must hold a learner's permit for at least three months before being licensed.

Currently in Missouri, any 16-year-old who passes a driving and written test, both of which are relatively easy, is licensed to drive. There are no training requirements.

Nationwide, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds and are blamed for nearly one-third of the deaths in that age group. Graduated licensing could reduce those numbers, and Missouri should adopt the system.