Amends Article 2 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes (Uniform Driver’s License Act) by adding GS 20-11.2 to do the following:
(1) Require applicants for a driver’s license age 18 and older to take an alcohol and drug abuse awareness course, unless they have a license from another state or have completed a Department of Public Instruction drivers education course;
(2) Require that the mandatory course be a three hour online or in-person course that promotes traffic safety and provides instruction on (i) physiological and psychological consequences of alcohol and drug abuse, (ii) effects of drug and alcohol abuse on drivers, (iii) North Carolina laws relating to motor vehicle operation, and (iv) high risk driving behaviors like fatigued driving, aggressive driving, and distracted driving;
(3) Direct the Division of Motor Vehicles (Division) to utilize third-party vendors to administer the course and to require the third-party vendors to obtain certification from the Division that the third-party’s course complies with the above requirements for the course; and
(4) Provides that course participants must pay a fee for the course set by the Division.
Directs that $200,000 of the funds appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of Transportation in fiscal year 2021-2022 are to be used for the purposes of the mandatory alcohol and drug abuse course.
Effective January 1, 2022.