TEEN DRIVER STUDY COMMISSION IMPROVING TEEN DRIVER SAFETY

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TEEN DRIVER STUDY COMMISSIONIMPROVING TEEN
DRIVER SAFETY
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TEEN DRIVER STUDY COMMISSION

• TDSC established through legislation
  (Assembly Bill A617), (Senate Bill S1962)
• Signed into law by Governor Corzine March 2007

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MISSION

• To conduct a comprehensive review of
• teen driving in New Jersey and make
• recommendations that will ultimately
• reduce crashes and save lives.

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TDSC MEMBERS

• Legislators
• School administrators
• Government and law enforcement officials
• AAA, driving school and insurance industry
  professionals
• Teen driver
• PTA member

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CURRENT 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

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ESSENTIAL 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.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Until event-based monitoring and enhanced
  sanctions are implemented, ban plea agreements
  for traffic offenses committed by GDL holders.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Implement the programming changes necessary to
  ensure that MVCs current and pending computer
  system can accommodate all components of the GDL
  law.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Develop a GDL identifier that must be affixed to
  a vehicle when driven by a permit or probationary
  license holder.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Require a parent/guardian to attend a teen
  driver orientation program with his or her teen
  prior to applying for a permit.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Require teens to complete a minimum number of
  hours of certified practice driving during the
  permit phase.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Extend the permit phase from a minimum of six
  months to one year for all new drivers 16 to 20
  years of age.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Limit the number of passengers in the
  probationary phase to one regardless of the
  passengers relationship to the driver.

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ESSENTIAL 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.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Lower the nighttime driving hours restriction
  from 12 a.m. to 11 p.m. for probationary license
  holders.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Close the loophole in the seat belt law to
  ensure all back seat passengers 18 years of age
  and older buckle up.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Appropriate funding for driver education through
  the GDL-mandated Driver Education Fund.

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ESSENTIAL 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.

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ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Amend the GDL law and the corresponding
  regulations to clearly define six hours of
  behind-the-wheel driver training.

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THE 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

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THE 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

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THE 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

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THE 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

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THE 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

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WHERE 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

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IDENTIFYING TEEN DRIVERS
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CHECKING UP ON YOUR TEEN

• MVC Customer Contact Center
• Free Verbal Abstracts (10 paper copy)
• [phone] or [phone]
• Supply parent and teens names, DOBs, address,
  d-license s
• Accidents, violations, municipal court MVC
  administrative actions, privilege status

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LEGISLATION

• 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

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LEGISLATION

• Two bills passed by the full Senate
• S16 nighttime and passenger restrictions,
• probationary
• S2314 vehicle identifier (Kyleighs Law)

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LEGISLATION

• Closing the backseat loophole
• A870 Assembly approved in February
• S18 stalled in the Senate
• Governor will sign!

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LEGISLATION

• Introduced in the Assembly
• A3635 Driver and passengers cited for GDL
  violations

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MEMORANDUM 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

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GDL 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

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TEEN SOCIAL MARKETING
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RESOURCES

• 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

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FINAL 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

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MORE INFORMATION

• Pam Fischer
• NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety
• 609-633-9272/9021
• pam.fischer_at_lps.state.nj.us