Members of the Beehive State hoping to start driving for the first time will now have to go the extra mile before putting miles on their vehicles.
Starting this year, Utah residents applying for a first-time license will have to pass an additional online test in order to secure a learner’s permit. While the exam is offered online and open-book, participants will need to score a 100% in order to officially pass. However, applicants will get to retake the test multiple times if they fail to get every question right.
Such strict policies regarding the final score stem from the same concern that was the catalyst for the new test: that Utah drivers are aware of the major causes of traffic-related deaths.
Despite a decline in driving deaths in recent years, 2014 saw a 16 percent increase in such fatalities. Numbers for 2015 have not yet been tallied, but Utah authorities estimated that the year was on track to be even more deadly.
Lawmakers are hoping the new test will help combat the newly climbing numbers by forcing would-be drivers to answer questions about common deadly mistakes, such as distracted driving or not wearing a seatbelt.
According to the law, at least half of the questions on the new test will be related to the top causes of highway deaths, and, as that information changes, so will the tests’ questions.
