New Jersey Teen Accident Rates Down Since GDL Laws Took Effect
A new American Automobile Association study shows that New Jersey's Graduated Driver's License program for teen drivers, has being successful in its target – fewer teen accidents. According to the study, there has been a substantial drop in the number of fatal accidents involving teen motorists since the new laws were passed.
In 2001, New Jersey enacted new GDL laws that included
- Restrictions on the number of passengers teen motorists could have
- More hours of practice driving
- Restrictions on driving at night that prevented motorists with a learner's permit from driving between 11 PM and 5 AM, and provisional license holders from driving between midnight and 5 AM
Those laws seem to have had the required effect. The AAA study showed that there was a reduction in the number of 17-year-old teen motorists involved in fatal accidents between 2002 and 2005, compared to 1998 to 2000. Statistics for crashes involving teen motorists after midnight were even better with the accident rate after midnight for 17-year-old motorists dropping by 44%. That's not all. There were major reductions in accident rates and injury rates in all teen accidents that were reported to the police, accidents that resulted only in injuries, as well as fatal accidents involving 17-year-olds. Post-midnight accidents involving 18-year-olds went down by 17%.
This reduction in injuries, fatalities and accidents has been encouraging enough for safety advocates to push for stronger laws involving parental involvement. According to New Jersey Division of Highway Safety Chief Sam Fisher, the agency is working with the Motor Vehicle Commission to study how parents of teen motorists can get more involved in teen safety issues. One bill that was linked to this issue passed the Assembly last year, and will be introduced this year. The bill will require parents of motorists below the age of 18 to attend a teen motorist safety orientation program.
Scott Grossman is a New Jersey car accident lawyer representing injured victims of car accidents in Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic and Ocean Counties, and across the state of New Jersey.