NORTH COUNTY -- After driving only a block from his family's Oceanside home, 16-year-old Steven Purnell already had gotten a warning from his driving instructor on Thursday afternoon.

"That would cost you one point on your driving test," instructor Doug Spencer told the teenager after the student had stopped the car past the white line painted on the street in front of a stop sign.

Steven was beginning his last two hours of driving instruction before he attempts to pass the Department of Motor Vehicles driving test, where a few little mistakes could mean he'd still have to hoof it a while longer.

Despite the hours of driving time required of minors before applying for their license -- 50 with parents and six with a professional instructor -- increased restrictions for young drivers like Steven went into effect Jan. 1 that limit when and with whom they can drive.

Lawmakers say they hope the new restrictions will reduce the number of accidents among inexperienced drivers, making the roads safer for everyone.

While some parents and teenagers said they have mixed feelings on the law, Spencer said the new restrictions were long overdue.

Earlier hours, fewer distractions

Restrictions on teen drivers are nothing new, and the recently implemented restrictions build on the Graduated Driver's License law passed in 1997.

Previously, for the first six months after drivers under 18 got provisional licenses, the law prohibited them from carrying passengers under the age of 20. The only exceptions were for new drivers accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed or certified instructor, or a licensed driver 25 years of age or older.

Now, this restricted period has been extended to a year, meaning no cruising with friends or taking a teenage girlfriend or boyfriend to the movies.

The 1997 law also prohibited a provisional licensee from driving between midnight and 5 a.m.

Now, the latest these drivers can be out is 11 p.m., even on weekends.

There are some exceptions, such as going to and from a school event, work, medical situations or special family needs, but drivers must have a letter from their parents outlining the what, where and when of the special circumstances.

The driving law states that enforcement officials can't stop young drivers on suspicion of violating the restrictions, only for traffic offenses. Once stopped, though, the young drivers can be cited for breaking the rule on passengers or cruising after the cut-off time.

Because of this, Det. Lt. David Mankin of the Escondido Police Department estimated the department had cited fewer than 20 teen drivers for such infractions in the last year.

"We haven't seen very many of those citations being issued," he said.

Penalties for violating the law include doing eight to 16 hours of community service or paying a $35 fine for the first offense and a $50 fine for the second offense.

Spencer, a 74-year-old Escondido resident who works for El Cajon Driving School and American Driving School in San Marcos, said not only is the law necessary for new teenage drivers, but it may not go far enough. Currently, teenagers can get their provisional license at age 15 1/2.

"I'd probably raise the beginning age to 16 1/2 or 17, give them a little more maturity, because these kids really lack judgment," Spencer said.

Safer roadways

And statistics show it.

Vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death among teenagers, who have a much higher accident rate than other drivers, said Elaine Beno, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California, which cosponsored a study of vehicle accidents that helped bring about the 1997 driving law.

One of the new 2006 restrictions focuses on the most dangerous time of day for teenage drivers, she said.

"The number of crashes that involve California's 16-year-old drivers is 13 percent higher between 11 (p.m.) and midnight" than expected, based on California teen crash data, Beno said.

The new law "takes them out of a high-risk situation, which is safer for them and safer for others as well," she said.

One can see how the distractions of friends could affect a young driver. As Spencer and his student, Steven, drove east on Highway 78 out of Vista, Spencer told him he needed to speed up more to merge with the crowded afternoon traffic. As Steven cruised down the highway, he had a tendency to drift to the left edge of his lane, a habit that Spencer said was "typical" of first-time drivers, but dangerous.

Off the highway, on city streets in Oceanside and Escondido, Steven relaxed a bit more, keeping his distance from other cars, checking over his shoulder before changing lanes and unfailingly signaling lane changes.

Before the driving lesson, Steven said he was feeling better behind the wheel, but still got nervous when merging onto the freeway.

"I still need a bit of learning," he said.

A few bad apples …

But Steven and his mother, Lana Purnell, said the one-year restriction is "ridiculous."

The previous six-month restriction was reasonable, Lana Purnell said, "but a year I think is really pushing it, and that's punishing the mass for the sins of the few."

Several students at Escondido High School expressed the same opinion last week.

Katie Grimes, 15, said she plans to start driving to school at the end of the month. She said not all teenagers are bad drivers.

"I think that's stereotyping, thinking that every teenager isn't gonna' drive good," Katie said.

And in many ways, she said, teenagers have double consequences if they get stopped for a traffic violation.

"Teenagers, because their parents are paying for all this stuff, they don't want to see the insurance go up, they don't want to get in trouble and lose their license. We have the law against us and our parents against us," Katie said.

Jana Puleo, 16, who also plans to start driving school soon, said the restrictions on driving with other students can create a different kind of safety hazard for teenagers.

"I have a friend who left a football game late, and she had to walk in the dark 'cause none of her friends could drive her home (because of the law). I think it would be worse if she were raped or something," Jana said.

Some students said they might be more likely to follow traffic rules so that they don't face a penalty for the new restrictions as well.

Few, however, said they were likely to stick to the restrictions.

"I don't think anybody's really going to follow it, because no one takes it seriously," Corrine Todd, 15, said. "We're teenagers. We don't follow rules."

Contact staff writer Paul Eakins at (760) 740-5420 or peakins@nctimes.com. To comment, go to nctimes.com.