Title: TEEN DRIVER STUDY COMMISSION IMPROVING TEEN DRIVER SAFETY
1TEEN DRIVER STUDY COMMISSIONIMPROVING TEEN
DRIVER SAFETY
2TEEN DRIVER STUDY COMMISSION
- TDSC established through legislation
(Assembly Bill A617), (Senate Bill S1962) - Signed into law by Governor Corzine March 2007
3MISSION
- To conduct a comprehensive review of
- teen driving in New Jersey and make
- recommendations that will ultimately
- reduce crashes and save lives.
4TDSC MEMBERS
- Legislators
- School administrators
- Government and law enforcement officials
- AAA, driving school and insurance industry
professionals - Teen driver
- PTA member
5CURRENT GDL LAW
- Permit at 16 (6 hrs. BTW) or 17 (hold min. 6
months) - License at 17 (hold provisional license min. 12
months) - Restrictions nighttime, passengers, seat belts,
portable electronic devices
6ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Develop an event-based GDL monitoring program
that includes sanctions (training, suspension and
postponement) that effectively deter GDL and
non-serious and serious motor vehicle violations.
7ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Until event-based monitoring and enhanced
sanctions are implemented, ban plea agreements
for traffic offenses committed by GDL holders.
8ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Implement the programming changes necessary to
ensure that MVCs current and pending computer
system can accommodate all components of the GDL
law.
9ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Develop a GDL identifier that must be affixed to
a vehicle when driven by a permit or probationary
license holder.
10ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Require a parent/guardian to attend a teen
driver orientation program with his or her teen
prior to applying for a permit.
11ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Require teens to complete a minimum number of
hours of certified practice driving during the
permit phase.
12ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Extend the permit phase from a minimum of six
months to one year for all new drivers 16 to 20
years of age.
13ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Limit the number of passengers in the
probationary phase to one regardless of the
passengers relationship to the driver.
14ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Sanction, in addition to the teen driver, all
passengers 16 to 20 years of age on a permit,
probationary or basic license, who violate the
GDL passenger and safety belt restrictions.
15ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Lower the nighttime driving hours restriction
from 12 a.m. to 11 p.m. for probationary license
holders.
16ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Close the loophole in the seat belt law to
ensure all back seat passengers 18 years of age
and older buckle up.
17ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Appropriate funding for driver education through
the GDL-mandated Driver Education Fund.
18ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Develop and deliver to public and private
schools a standardized traffic safety/driver
education curriculum and incorporate it into New
Jerseys Core Curriculum Contest Standards for
students in grades K-12.
19ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Amend the GDL law and the corresponding
regulations to clearly define six hours of
behind-the-wheel driver training.
20THE NEW AND IMPROVED GDL
- Permit Phase
- Minimum age of 16
- Pass vision screening and written test
- Complete a parent/guardian teen orientation
- Hold permit for a minimum of one year
- Minimum 6 hours behind-the-wheel training for 16
year old permit holder, optional for permit
holders 17-20 years of age
21THE NEW AND IMPROVED GDL
- Permit Phase (cont)
- Minimum 50 hours of certified practice driving
(10 of those hours must be at night) - Minimum of 100 hours of certified practice
driving (20 of those hours must be at night)
without behind-the-wheel training - Display a GDL identifier (color specific) on
vehicle
22THE NEW AND IMPROVED GDL
- Permit Phase Restrictions
- Limit of one passenger
- regardless of relationship to driver (unless
passenger is 25 years of age or older) - No driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- No use of portable electronic devices (i.e.,
hand-held or hands-free cell phones, ipods, video
games, etc.) - Driver and all passengers must wear seat belts
23THE NEW AND IMPROVED GDL
- Probationary Phase
- Complete all requirements of the permit phase
- Pass skills/road test
- Minimum age of 17
- Hold probationary license for one year
- Display a GDL identifier (color specific) on
vehicle
24THE NEW AND IMPROVED GDL
- Probationary Phase Restrictions
- Limit of one passenger regardless of relationship
to the license holder (unless passenger is 25
years of age or older) - No driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. (waiver
available for employment and religious activities
and/or emergency situations) - No use of portable electronic devices (i.e.,
hand-held or hands-free cell phones, ipods, video
games, etc.) - Driver and all passengers must wear seat belts
25WHERE WE ARE TODAY
- Attorney General Directive
- Effective Sept. 17, 2008 bans municipal
prosecutors from offering plea agreements - to all GDL holders
- 3 points trigger training and monitoring for 12
months additional points trigger - 90 day suspension
- 17 yr olds 1 user of unsafe operator
26IDENTIFYING TEEN DRIVERS
27CHECKING UP ON YOUR TEEN
- MVC Customer Contact Center
- Free Verbal Abstracts (10 paper copy)
- (609) 292-6500 or (888) 486-3339
- Supply parent and teens names, DOBs, address,
d-license s - Accidents, violations, municipal court MVC
administrative actions, privilege status
28LEGISLATION
- Four bills passed by the full Assembly
- A3067 codifies ban on plea agreements
- A3068 parent/teen orientation, 12 month
- permit, practice driving, 6 hrs
BTW - A3069 vehicle identifier (Kyleighs Law)
- A3070 nighttime and passenger
- restrictions, probationary
29LEGISLATION
- Two bills passed by the full Senate
- S16 nighttime and passenger restrictions,
- probationary
- S2314 vehicle identifier (Kyleighs Law)
30LEGISLATION
- Closing the backseat loophole
- A870 Assembly approved in February
- S18 stalled in the Senate
- Governor will sign!
-
31LEGISLATION
- Introduced in the Assembly
- A3635 Driver and passengers cited for GDL
violations
32MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT
- Revise MOA to include police departments
notifying schools when teens commit GDL
and/or moving violations. - Tie to parking privilege
- OAG/DOE MOA Committee reviewed, including in
2009-10 FAQs
33GDL CHECKPOINTS
- Tie education with enforcement
- Engage schools in pushing out the message Dont
Drive Stupid - Set up check points at/near schools and other
teen frequented areas - Emphasis isnt on writing tickets, but violations
are cited - DHTS provides enforcement grants, materials
34TEEN SOCIAL MARKETING
35RESOURCES
- Teen-Parent, Parent-to-Parent Contracts
- How to Choose a Driving School, Buying Your Teen
a Car - Websites
- Alive at 25 Program
- Auto Insurance Companies
36FINAL THOUGHTS
- State law is a minimum standard
- Partner with your teen and their friends parents
- Practice, practice, practice
- Be a good role model
- Once licensed, your teen is still a driver in
training
37MORE INFORMATION
- Pam Fischer
- NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety
- 609-633-9272/9021
- pam.fischer_at_lps.state.nj.us