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resources: teen driving info
Hey, everyone! I was doing some research on Illinois teen driving laws and thought I'd share what I found as a resource since our game is all teenagers and I thought it would be useful for us all to know the rules about who could and couldn't drive and when.

Permit Phase - Drivers Age 15

• Parent/guardian consent required to obtain an instruction permit.
• Must be enrolled in an approved driver education course, and must pass vision and written exams.
• A nighttime driving restriction is in place Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m-6 a.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (local curfews may differ from the nighttime driving restriction).
• Permit must be held for a minimum of nine months.
• Must practice driving a minimum of 50 hours, including 10 hours of nighttime driving, supervised by a parent or adult age 21 or older with a valid driver's license.
• Must not acquire any driving convictions during the nine-month permit phase.
• Number of passengers limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.
• All occupants under age 19 must wear safety belts.
• Cell phone use while driving is prohibited except in the case of an emergency to contact a law enforcement agency, health care provider or emergency services agency.
• Permit is valid for up to two years.

Initial Licensing Phase - Drivers Age 16-17

• Parent/guardian must certify that a minimum of 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours of nighttime driving, has been completed.
• Parent/guardian must accompany teen to provide written consent to obtain a driver's license, OR complete and notarize an Affidavit/Consent For Minor to Drive form.
• Must have completed a state-approved driver education course.
• A nighttime driving restriction is in place Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m-6 a.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (local curfews may differ from the nighttime driving restriction).
• Must maintain a conviction-free driving record for six months prior to turning age 18 before moving to the Full Licensing Phase. A traffic conviction during the initial licensing phase may extend restrictions beyond age 18.
• All occupants under age 19 must wear safety belts.
• For the first year of licensing, or until the driver is age 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the additional passenger(s) is a sibling, step-sibling, child, or step-child of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.
• Cell phone use while driving is prohibited except in the case of an emergency to contact a law enforcement agency, health care provider or emergency services agency.

Soooo, as a general rule, Freshmen who have had their birthday already and Sophomores who haven't would have their Instructional permit. Sophomore's who have had their birthdays, juniors and seniors who are not yet 18 would be in the "initial licensing phase" where the hours they can drive are still restricted and for the first year they can only have one person under 20 in the car, excepting siblings and children. In either case, parental permission is needed, although hopefully no one's parents are mean enough to say no. :P