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Kyleigh's Law Mandates Decal on Teen Drivers' Cars

Government | Wed, 04/15/2009 - 4:20 pm | Read 12288 | Commented 16 | Emailed 14
Tags: CHESTER, gov. jon corzine

By Herald Staff

CHESTER — By signing Kyleigh's Law on Wednesday, April 15, Gov. Jon Corzine made New Jersey the first state in the nation to have a teen driver decal law. Named in honor of 16-year-old Kyleigh D'Alessio, the law requires the use of an identifier on vehicles driven by teens holding a permit or provisional license.

“Having a driver’s license is an awesome responsibility for any teenager,” Corzine stated in a release. “The legislation I am signing today initiates several preventative measures to help avoid further teen driving tragedies like Kyleigh's, while ensuring that our young people are better prepared to safely take to the roadways.”

The law also will assist police in identifying young drivers who may be in violation of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) restrictions.

“As a father I cannot even begin to imagine what the pain is like for family and friends of Kyleigh D’Alessio and the thousands of other teenagers who die in automobile accidents each year,” said Sen. Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (R-21st). “This legislation is designed to encourage our young drivers to drive safely and to comply with the rules of the road. It will also assist law enforcement personnel in identifying new drivers that might not be complying with the rules and thus, putting themselves, passengers and other drivers at risk. Through education and action we can save lives and help avert another tragedy.”

The governor also signed S-16/A-3070, revising nighttime driving and passenger restrictions on permit and provisional drivers. New Jersey’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) law currently restricts teens on a provisional license from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. Although only 15 percent of miles driven by 16 and 17-year-olds are between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., more than 40 percent of their fatal crashes occur during this time period. The bill also renames the provisional license “probationary.”

“We live in the most densely populated state in the nation in an era of constant distractions,” said Sen. Richard J. Codey (D-27th). “Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed a number of tragic accidents that could have been avoided. Hopefully these changes will make sure that inexperienced drivers have greater supervision and less distractions while they're still learning the ropes.”

“Statistics show that 40 percent of fatal teen car accidents occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.,” said Sen. Fred H. Madden, (D-4th). “This new law will work to protect all drivers by reducing these numbers, while also making it easier for law enforcement officers to identify teen drivers. This bill isn’t about profiling, but instead ensuring that parents, young drivers and police officers are able to take an active role in protecting our roadways.”

The bills signed April 15 address four recommendations contained in the Teen Driver Study Commission's March 2008 report. Three of those recommendations are essential for stemming the tide of teen driver crashes that last year claimed 60 teen lives - 37 drivers and 23 passengers.

“Every nine minutes a teen crashes in New Jersey,” Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director Pam Fischer said. “The legislation signed today by Gov. Corzine will help to ensure that young drivers, who clearly face a higher risk on our roadways, remain safe during the most dangerous time of their lives. These bills will help reduce teen crashes and ultimately save young lives.”

According to the NJ Teen Driver Study Commission Report, a teen driver is 158 percent more likely to be killed in a crash while carrying two passengers. The risk increases to 207 percent when there are three passengers in a teen driver's car. The increased risk is often the result of distraction and others in the car encouraging the teen driver to take risks with most teen crashes in NJ occur after school.

“The only way to become better at anything is through practice, and driving is no exception,” said Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19th), chairman of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee. “Providing teen drivers with adequate behind-the-wheel time, standardized driver education and a healthy respect for the consequences of bad driving will help make them safer, more responsible motorists.”

“We need to give newly minted drivers the tools they need to become safe, responsible motorists,” said Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-31st). “Encouraging safe driving practices, enhancing penalties for bad driving and increasing the amount of time required behind the wheel will go a long way toward that goal.”

In total, the report outlines 47 recommendations to help reduce teen crashes, and ultimately save lives. While the State has the oldest minimum driving age in the nation (17) and a strong

Graduated Driver License (GDL) law that addresses teen risk factors (i.e., passengers, nighttime driving, cell phones, and seat belts), the Commission determined that more can and must be done to reduce teen driver crashes and save lives.

“Like learning any other skill, learning to drive well takes time,” said Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes III. (D-18th) “Ensuring our teens have the technical ability and good measure that come with practice will make them safer and more careful when they're on the road.”

Between 2002 and 2008, more than 400 teen drivers and teens who were passengers in teen-driven vehicles, died on the state's roadways.

“This package will help reinforce the message to teens that driving is a privilege, not a right,” said Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt (D-6th). “We need to better impress upon teens that getting behind the wheel carries with it real and tremendous responsibility for their passengers, other drivers and, most importantly, themselves.”

“Making sure that our teenagers understand the serious responsibility that comes along with obtaining a drivers license is imperative,” said Assemblyman John F. McKeon. (D-27th) “Distinguishing learning teen drivers from the rest of the driving community will make our roads safer for everyone.”

“Despite having a strong Graduated Driving Licensing law, we have experienced a rash of fatal crashes involving teenage drivers during the past few years," said Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, (R-11th). "This legislation the governor has signed today will enhance and strengthen that law and provide constructive and improved guidelines that will ultimately save lives."

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Comments (16)

We welcome your thoughts, stories and information related to this article.

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Tue, 07/14/2009 - 6:20pm - Posted by: desanchess

Well this move will expose young drivers. Moreover, it will mix these drivers cars with already customized cars such as sc dodge. This move is still very controversial and is challenging the authority of a driving license which is a very important document.

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Thu, 06/18/2009 - 11:41pm - Posted by: petty

I'm afraid these decals may lead teens to disaster. I think the best thing here is to let them have their driver licenses, and not with it. Bad guys can easily detect young drivers and can do harm especially when they're alone, isn't it? Driver's license is enough to chilton.

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Wed, 05/06/2009 - 1:31pm - Posted by: vinnydes

Thats fucking retarted cause of a dumb bitch that died everyone else had to get that shit its fucking retarted i hate that dumb cunt i g

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Tue, 04/21/2009 - 3:34pm - Posted by: momfromshade

IHere's an idea, why not make them all wear the same hat? Maybe they should only drive blue cars?-Maybe we should tattoo them with an identifying number? Corzine needs a sticker- "I don't wear a seatbelt", maybe that will get a police officers attention.

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Mon, 04/20/2009 - 7:20am - Posted by: Joe

No time in Trenton to work on real issues like balancing the budget, lowering property taxes, or reducing the size of government, but plenty of free time for this kind of garbage. Please remember this during the next election.

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Sat, 04/18/2009 - 6:42pm - Posted by: Small Town Girl

I agree with sjerseygal on all points.

3 days after Corzine signed this bill in, there is already a lawyer suing to overturn the law. I hope he is successful.

I wouldn't want my child to be targeted on a darkened road at night by some creep that thinks she is an easy target and forces her off the road just because he knows a teen is alone in the car.

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Fri, 04/17/2009 - 11:49pm - Posted by: tuckahoekid

I read in the press they were going to use a velcro system to allow older drivers to remove the identifier...well any teen with any brain will know to just take it off as well.
No identifier=no getting stopped by the police for nothing, no getting stopped for driving too late, no getting stopped for having too many people in the car.

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Fri, 04/17/2009 - 4:45pm - Posted by: sjerseygal

I strongly disagree with the use of these decals. They clearly mark and identify our youngest and most vulnerable drivers not only to police officers, but also to unwanted predators. This concern is not only valid while our provisional drivers are alone and driving, but also when they park their cars. A predator may notice the decals on a parked car then wait for the teen driver to return and assault them.

Haven’t we learned from prior experiences? Car rental companies had to stop marking their rental cars, as they were an invitation to thieves and carjackers to prey upon unsuspecting, cash carrying tourists. The majority of fire departments no longer recommend Child Finder fire safety window decals, as they can be an invitation to child predators and/or burglars to break in at that point of entry.

Way to think this one through!

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Fri, 04/17/2009 - 9:10am - Posted by: J_Donato

The FAA grants a private (non-commercial) pilot license with only a minimum of 20 hours instruction and 20 hours solo practice time, at the age of 16. There are a few more requirements, such as passing a written test, and a medical exam with a drug screening. The instruction and practice hours are independent of the calendar. It does not matter if you finish in a week, a month, or a year. After passing the check ride (like a road test), the pilot can legally fly with passengers coast to coast, day or night. Congrats to NJ for making it harder for responsible teens to drive a car than fly a plane. Furthermore, upon examining the facts of the unfortunate accident which inspired this law, the passengers broke several laws already on the books. It was a single car accident with 4 teens in an Audi TT. It seems like the issue is complying with existing laws, rather than designing new laws.

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Fri, 04/17/2009 - 5:10am - Posted by: Scorpion

I can hear it now, Sorry Officer, my dog ate my decal. Gee, the wind must have blown it off. Oh no, someone must have stolen it. Ten thousand excuses for why it isn't being displayed. What a joke. Next there will be fines for failure to display your decal. Just another means of the state using our vehicles to rake in more money. Another angle is probable cause for more traffic stops, more tickets. I think it is a really stupid idea. Almost as stupid as mandating the size of vehicle insurance cards.

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Thu, 04/16/2009 - 7:58pm - Posted by: Taz

After 9-11 the police wanted to be able to pull over drivers that looked like arabs or of middle eastern decent. The courts stopped that practice saying that it was profiling & that it was illegal to profile. The Gov. must not have heard that decision by the courts. To bmvalk, I too am a former emt & I am an active firefighter. I can tell you right now that a sticker or decal will do NOTHING to stop accidents. The sticker has nothing to do with protecting your kids. All that sticker will do is act as a target for the police. If they need a sticker on a car to be able to tell that they are doing something wrong, then they should not be police officers. I agree with the parts of the law about stricter driving times & limiting the amount of people in the car, but not about profiling.

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Thu, 04/16/2009 - 1:23pm - Posted by: ladybug197463

This decal will only lead to more profiling by the police and insurance companies. What's next a decal for people over 50 or 60? We are not protecting our kids we are making them a target. If we teach our children that driving is a privlage and not a right to start with and that they can kill someone in less than a heart beat than we will have less problems. Teaching responsibility is our jobs as parents not the states to profile them.

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Thu, 04/16/2009 - 12:26pm - Posted by: 4everBlowingBubbles

Will there be a decal for NJ Governors cars who find it necessary to recklessly endanger my life driving 90 mph on the parkway?

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Thu, 04/16/2009 - 9:52am - Posted by: UGB

the decal only goes on the car when the PROVISIONAL LICENSE driver is driving, NOT the parents. It will be magnetic or something easily removable

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Thu, 04/16/2009 - 8:38am - Posted by: bmvalk

In responce to the above post, your missing the point on protecting your kids as well as yourself and other drivers. As a former EMT I've seen the tradgy of teens getting into accidents. Besides it's the law now and you don't have a choice.

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Wed, 04/15/2009 - 7:36pm - Posted by: A.comment

My kid drives the family car during normal hours, the rest of the time it's adult driven. There is no way I'm putting that sticker on my car.



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