A New Jersey law barring drivers under 18 from having more than one passenger is in the spotlight after an SUV driven by a 17-year-old and carrying seven teenagers crashed. The driver and three passengers died in Saturday’s accident. The Motor Vehicle Commission says Casey Brenner had a restricted license that allowed him to carry only one passenger unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. All eight in the SUV were members of the high school football team in Linwood.
Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) wants to see if there are “gaps or problems” with the Graduated Driver’s License law, which aims to limit distractions for new drivers.
Mainland Regional High School’s football coach says a survivor told him the problem wasn’t distraction. It was that the driver had trouble getting the car under control when he came on abruptly stopped cars on the Garden State Parkway. AP.
Why should the law be under scrutiny? how about the parents be under scrutiny for not knowing that their 17 year old son was driving a car with 7 other underage students?
he forgot the three second rule—following too closse
Your child leaves your home driving the car alone. How can you ever know how many others wind up in that car?
Sure there are neighbors and others and you teach your child “no more than that 1 friend, by law and for your safety”, but how do you really know????
this is rubbish. Other states don’t have these nonsense laws. Helmets for trycicles anyone?
After 18 years you can take as many passengers as you want? How does it work?
You are on a restricted license for the first year, even if you get your license at 18.
Drivers, regardless of their ages, have been overloading their cars and/or being careless for ages. All the new laws in the world won’t make any difference.
He hit “abruptly stopped cars” and he wasn’t distracted. Hmmm, y’think maybe he was, uh, speeding ?! Either way, law or no law, this is a terrible tragedy. 4 families will never be the same. & the parents of the driver will never forgive themselves that their son killed 3 of his friends & ruined 3 families.
Clearly the law doesn’t work! Ever thought of that?
I think it’s a good law. The purpose is when you are a new driver, you need to concentrate without distraction. A more experienced driver can handle more distraction and will have more confidence to compel the passengers to quiet down when necessary.
As a parent, I’m happy to know that my newly driving son cannot and will not take a bunch of friends in the car with him. It’s a transitional stage to full driving responsibility.
just another useless nj law that costs the taxpayers money. wonder how much all those red stickers cost us?