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Trenton,
NJ – Following a key recommendation
of the Teen Drivers Study Commission, Attorney
General Anne Milgram has directed municipal
prosecutors not to offer or accept plea
bargains to teen drivers with Graduated
Drivers’ Licenses for motor vehicle
violations that carry points.
The directive is aimed at ensuring that
new drivers participate in driver improvement
programs that are mandatory for young drivers
who accumulate three or more points. The
directive specifically bars pleas to a violation
of operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe
manner, a plea that avoids the assessment
of points.
The
Teen Drivers Study Commission recommended
the action because a provision of the Graduated
Drivers License system had been undermined
by plea offers to no-point offenses.
“It
is necessary for prosecutors to differentiate
GDL holders from regular licensees when
determining an appropriate plea offer,”
Milgram wrote in a memorandum sent to all
municipal and county prosecutors on Wednesday.
“GDL holders are probationary drivers
and it is entirely appropriate that they
be held strictly accountable for all motor
vehicle violations.’’
A
GDL holder who is charged with a motor vehicle
violation does not have a sustained record
of safe and lawful driving, which is an
important factor that prosecutors consider
when determining negotiated resolution of
charges. Therefore, pleading motor vehicle
violations to no-point offenses allows GDL
drivers to escape remedial measures and
leaves high-risk and inexperienced drivers
on the road.
“The
need to deter and remediate driving offenses
is greater with respect to new, young drivers,’’
Milgram said.
Pam
Fischer, the director of the Division of
Highway Traffic Safety and the chairwoman
of the Teen Driver Study Commission, said,
“This directive represents a significant
step forward in our efforts to ensure that
teen drivers are not only kept safe and
free from harm behind the wheel, but when
they do violate motor vehicle laws, they
are properly sanctioned and receive training
that will protect them in the future. We
now have a way to effectively identify teens
that have demonstrated unsafe driving behaviors
and address them before they result in tragedy
on our roadways.
“One
of 14 priority recommendations made by the
Division, the directive is a major step
forward for safety. The Commission thanks
the Attorney General for her commitment
to teen driver safety and looks forward
to continuing to work closely with her,
the Governor’s Office, and the Legislature
as we move forward with the Commission’s
recommendations to help reduce crashes and
save lives.”
A copy of the directive and the full Teen
Driver Study Commission report is available
on line at www.njsaferoads.com.
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