"I think they're stupid!"

This was the from-the-heart answer that I received from my son (who just started driver's training last weekend) when I asked him what he thought about the new, stricter laws for young drivers.

Then, after the "uh-oh, she's going to put this in the newspaper" look of realization came across his face, he added, "but it's probably actually smart, because when teenagers first learn to drive they are all crazy, and then, after a while, they calm down."

I smiled at that answer. You've got to give the kid credit for trying. "So what do you really think of the new laws?" I asked him.

"They're totally stupid!" he replied.

Becoming a licensed driver for those under the age of 18 already required jumping through quite a few hoops. Just to get a permit to drive, a young driver must complete 30 hours of classroom driver's training, after which they must pass a written test. Once they have their permit in hand, it will be another six months before they can apply for a driver's license. But sitting idle during this time is not an option. In that six months, the new driver must complete at least six hours of behind-the-wheel training from a DMV-licensed school and another 50 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction from any licensed driver 25 or over.

More than likely, if you are the parent or guardian of the young driver, that means you have just become an official driving instructor. If doing doughnuts in the parking lot of the mall in the early A.M. with your new driver makes you a tad nervous, perhaps I shouldn't mention that 10 of those 50 hours of additional training must be completed at night.

Then, after they pass the dreaded written test and the always nerve-racking behind-the-wheel exam at the DMV, the license that they receive has strings attached until they are 18. The license is called "provisional," which in DMV-speak means, "If you mess up, even a little, we will take it back so fast it will make your head spin."

Here is where the new laws come in, no doubt adding to teen angst throughout California. For the first 12 months they have their licenses, drivers under 18 cannot drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Previously, the law stated that they could not drive from midnight to 5 a.m., with the restriction only lasting six months.

The real whining, though, comes from the other updated provision. New drivers now may not have passengers under the age of 20 unless a licensed driver 25 or over is in the vehicle for an entire year after they first get their license, not just six months, as before.

This effectively destroys all hope of joy-riding in the wee hours with your buds after you become a legal driver for quite some time. Even better news for parents: A new driver can drive a little brother or sister around without penalty. This was news that was especially thrilling to my about-to-be-driving teenage son.

As the mother of a new driver, what do I think of the new laws? They're smart. Totally smart.

Michelle Groh-Gordy is the owner of InterActive! Traffic School Online at http://www.trafficinteractive.com, and writes a syndicated weekly column on driving for the publications of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.