State Official On Kyleigh’s Law: If law Would Cause Teens To Be Preyed Upon, We Wouldn’t Have Recommended It

kyleighs_law_lkwdThe changes to the graduated drivers license law has created some confusion, and a state official who was on the committee to that studied teen driving was in Millburn on Wednesday to clear up the confusion. “When I have conversations like this, it clears up the confusion,” said Pamela Fischer, state Division of Highway Traffic Safety director, during the M-MAC session at the library. “If we can get parents and teens sitting around the kitchen table to talk about driving, that’s great.” The changed law, dubbed Kyleigh’s Law, went into effect on May 1. The legislation changes the curfew for provisional drivers from midnight to 11 p.m. It also changes the restrictions on passengers in a car with a provisional driver. They can only have one passenger in the vehicle unless a parent is in the car. If a parent is present, the restriction on passengers is lifted.

But one of the most controversial provisions of the law has been the requirement for red decals on the license plate of the car a provisional driver is using. The requirement is for those under 21 who hold the provisional license. Some parents and teens are concerned the red decals would make them a target.

The law is named after 16-year-old West Morris Central student Kyleigh D’Alessio, and Donna Weeks, Kyleigh’s mother, began lobbying for new legislation when her daughter and another high school student died in a 2006 crash in Washington Township. But Weeks will tell you she takes some blame for not knowing the law, Fischer said, and she started talking to police about enforcing it. They told her how the police do not have a way to identify a teen with a provisional license.

A year ago Fischer spoke in Millburn about changes a commission recommended to state officials. That study included a recommendation on identifying a vehicle driven by someone with a provisional license. Law enforcement officials also told the commission they had trouble enforcing the laws because they couldn’t identify teens with provisional licenses, Fischer said.

Fischer said she is a mother of a teen, so she is sensitive to the concerns. Aside from the teen member of the commission, the other members also are parents. But they have found nothing that shows the decals would cause teens to be preyed upon. “We wouldn’t have recommended it if that was the case,” she said.

The teens today are more visible than any other group of teens, Fischer said, and people don’t need a decal to identify them. Parents should be teaching their children from a very young age about awareness and what to look for around them. Plus nearly every teen has a cellular phone attached to them, which they can use to call 911.

Fischer said she appreciates the concern and parents should talk about how to protect their children. But teens are doing things today to expose themselves in other ways, like using Facebook. Teens tell their friends where they are minute by minute. And she’s suspended her son’s Facebook use for posting inappropriate information, like his cell phone number.

“It’s change,” Fischer said of the outcry against the decals. “No one likes change.”

The decals are $4 per pair at the Motor Vehicle Commission and are to be placed on the top left of the two license plates. Fischer said they have a Velcro back because state officials knew families share cars between non-provisional drivers and older drivers.

The decals also set good habits for teens to check a car before they get inside it to drive. The decals should be put on before and taken off after a provisional driver uses the car, Fischer said. By doing so, teens get into the habit of checking around the car before driving it. Most driving schools are teaching the habit to teen drivers.

And while some parents say they are opposed and there are reports no one is buying the decals, Fischer said the Motor Vehicle Commission has sold over 112,000 sets.

Other countries already have identifying markers on vehicles driven by young drivers. Fischer said England requires a large “L” on a vehicle, for example. Other states also are looking at how the New Jersey law works because they want to do the same thing.

As far as the passenger requirements, Fischer said the first 18-24 months a teen has a drivers license is the most dangerous time for them because it’s when they are learning to drive. Having a passenger increases their chance of a crash by more than 150 percent. Distraction and inattentiveness is the number one cause for teen car crashes. “They shouldn’t be a transportation provider,” she said. “The studies show they are better off alone.”

Many of the other restrictions for a provisional license remain the same. A teen driver can receive their permit at 16 years old, which they must hold for at least six months before testing for a probational license. Teens cannot test for a probational license until they are 17 years old. The probational license can be changed to a regular license after one year, but Fischer said the burden is on the teen to make the change. They have to visit the Motor Vehicle Commission to have the yellow stripe removed from their license. “If they don’t get it changed, they will stay a probational driver,” she said.

It’s important for state officials to continue their work to cut down on the number of teen motor vehicle deaths, Fischer said. She cited how motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of teens. The numbers are coming down with 44 teen car crash deaths in 2009, the first time it’s been under 50, but more work needs to be done. “You only have one child,” she said. “If I lost my son, you would need to commit me.” Patch.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. The Law About Driving family members also changed you can not drive more than one family unless one of them is 18. you used to be able to drive your whole family plus one family member now you can only drive one person no matter if its your family not unless one person is 18.

  2. I know everyone has very strong opinions about Kyleigh’s Law. It doesn’t matter witch side of the fence your own, the long and the short of it is something has to happen. The old way is not working, we are not keeping up with innovation. We may even need a graduated program, and start with a larger bumper decal.

Comments are closed.