For James Losasso and his family, a new law restricting the number of young passengers in the cars of new teen drivers came too late.
In January, Losasso’s 14-year-old sister, Sara, was killed while riding in a car driven by a newly licensed 16-year-old that collided with a sport utility vehicle near Monument.
The driver and two other teen passengers in his car survived the crash, as did the SUV driver. The teens were heading home from Lewis- Palmer High School. Police said the young driver was speeding and lost control on a curve.
The bill prohibiting newly licensed teens from having any passengers younger than 21 in the vehicle for the first six months unless an adult driver is with them was signed into law by Gov. Bill Owens on Thursday.
The passenger-restriction law and a companion measure banning cellphone use by those with learner’s permits are “secondary’ violations. That means a law enforcement officer can cite someone for a violation only if the driver is stopped for some other reason.
A teen who violates the law restricting teen passengers is subject to a fine of $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense and $150 for a subsequent offense.
A violator also can be assessed two license suspension points and possibly be asked to serve from eight to 24 hours of community service for the first offense.
“It would have saved my sister,’ the 27-year-old Losasso said. “If it had been state law, my parents would not have allowed Sara to ride in that car.’
The governor said both new laws will save lives.
“Next year at this time, some parents are going to enjoy a wonderful spring morning with their children not knowing how much they owe the people here who caused these two bills to be passed and allowed me the honor of signing them,’ he said at a Capitol signing ceremony.
The law on teen passengers says that for the second six months that new drivers have a license, they can have one minor passenger in the vehicle.
Family members are exempted from the restriction, so new drivers can drive legally with young siblings or other members of their immediate family.
The law goes into effect July 1, and state officials still were trying to determine Thursday if those who obtain minor’s licenses before that date will be exempt from the law.
Owens strongly defended the law.
“We have a 22-year-old, Monica, who had a number of fender-benders within her first few months of driving,’ the governor said. “Our 18-year-old son, Mark, had one fender-bender within his first few months of driving.’
Losasso supports the new law, even though it’s too late for his family.
“I haven’t come to terms with the loss,’ he said of Sara’s death. “To see what my parents are going through crushes me.’
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-820-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
