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Trenton,
NJ – The number of teen drivers and
teen passengers killed in motor vehicle crashes
in New Jersey dropped for the third consecutive
year in 2008 to 59, down from 68 in 2007 and
73 in 2006.
The
decline coincides with the work of the Teen
Driver Study Commission. Since issuing its
report on the state of teen driving in New
Jersey 19 months ago, the commission has been
working with government, non-profit, and traffic
safety organizations to implement a number
of innovative programs and initiatives, including
school-based parent/teen orientations, that
are helping to reduce teen crashes and save
lives.
The
new initiatives, as well as two bills signed
into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine in April,
were based on recommendations in the Commission’s
report. Presented to the Governor and Legislature
in March 2008, the report outlined 47 recommendations
for improving teen driver safety in New Jersey.
Fourteen of the recommendations are considered
essential for stemming the tide of teen driver
crashes, which have claimed the lives of over
400 teens (16-20 years of age) since 2001.
Highway
Traffic Safety Director Pam Fischer, who was
chair of the Teen Driver Study Commission,
said, “The commission is extremely pleased
with the significant progress that has been
made to date in implementing the recommendations
in the report. Four of the most critical recommendations
– a ban on plea agreements for Graduated
Driver License (GDL) holders, the use of a
decal by permit and provisional license holders,
an earlier curfew and a more stringent passenger
restriction – have either been implemented
or signed into law, putting in place the foundation
for an enhanced GDL program that will protect
all new drivers behind the wheel.”
The
plea agreement ban, which impacts all GDL
holders regardless of age, was implemented
through an Attorney General’s directive
to municipal prosecutors on September 17,
2008. The use of a decal (dubbed Kyleigh’s
Law), an 11 p.m. curfew, and a limit on passengers
to just one -- regardless of family affiliation
-- take effect on May 1, 2010, and apply to
all GDL permit and provisional license holders
under 21 years of age. Once a teen completes
the permit and provisional phase of the GDL
system (approximately 18 months), the restrictions
are lifted. In addition, many schools across
the state are working with the Division and
traffic safety organizations to educate teens
and their parents about the GDL law and the
risks associated with teen driving.
Motor
vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen
death in New Jersey and the U.S., with an
average of 6,000 teens killed and 300,000
injured each year nationwide. Last year in
New Jersey, there were 56,962 crashes involving
teen drivers, a decline of 3 percent since
2007. While most of these crashes resulted
in minor injuries and/or property damage,
36 teen drivers and 23 teen passengers driven
by teens were killed last year. In 2007, 35
teen drivers and 33 teen passengers lost their
lives in crashes. Speed, distraction, inexperience,
and lack of seat belt use were prevalent factors
in these fatal crashes. In some cases, the
teen driver had multiple violations on his
or her driving record.
A
chart detailing the progress being made in
implementing the 14 essential recommendations,
as well as other key issues addressed in the
Commission’s report, is available on
the Division of Highway Traffic Safety’s
web site, at www.nj.gov/oag/hts/teen-driver-report-updates.html.
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