Question: We have heard conflicting reports from two different traffic school instructors concerning the possible change of the driving age here in California. One traffic school instructor told my husband's class that the state has passed a new law saying that kids cannot get their driver license until they are 18. I completed an online traffic school that never mentioned this new law. Which is correct?

Answer: Go with the online traffic school information.

I'm betting the classroom traffic school instructor has teenagers and is the victim of wishful thinking.

The age when a minor is eligible for a driving permit is 15 ½ and 16 is still the minimum age to obtain a driver's license.

However, the license of a driver under the age of 18 is not the same license that adults carry around. The license remains "provisional" until the driver turns 18. That means that they are subject to the more stringent rules and penalties of the juvenile courts should they get a violation.

At the age of 18, the provisional aspect simply drops off of the license. No new license need be obtained.

Q: I have seen a lot of vehicles with blue headlights. Are law enforcement agencies citing these drivers? Is there a vehicle code section addressing this with potential traffic school penalties or is this just a fix-it ticket?

A: Legal automobile head lights can only be white.

What you are probably seeing are xenon headlights, which are much brighter than conventional headlights and appear to be blue. These headlights are legal.

Otherwise, if someone were to truly change their headlights to a different color, they would be cited under Vehicle Code 26101 for the prohibited use of equipment to modify a vehicle. The citation will be a fix-it ticket, with no traffic school requirement.

Q: Why is it that the police say that person can be cited and sent to traffic school when driving a low speed vehicle on a public street?

A: Don't blame the officer for this one, blame "sticker shock".

The law, which is spelled out on a required sticker inside the LSV (low speed vehicle) says, "The vehicle's maximum speed is 25 miles per hour and it may be a hazard on the roadways if it impedes traffic, for which, the driver may be cited."

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