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“Kyleigh’s Law” Approved
New Drivers and Permit Holders to Display Decals on Vehicles
Young drivers make up just five percent of the driving population, but account for 12 percent of all car crashes. New Jersey’s Graduated Driver’s Licenses (GDL) program gives these young drivers 12 months of unsupervised practice while limiting the crash-related injuries and fatalities that are so prevalent among this demographic.
Studies indicate that incidence of teen crashes positively correlate with the number of passengers present in the car. As a GDL holder, the new driver will gain experience on the road, however be restricted to driving between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. and be allowed only one passenger in the vehicle. This will reduce contributing factors of crashes— drowsy, distracted, and drunk driving.
To combat violation of the law and the high incidence of teen crashes, new drivers under the age of 21 will now be required to display two removable, reflective, and highly-visible decals on their vehicles, letting others know that they hold a probationary GDL.
The genesis of the new GDL decal was the death of 16-year-old Kyleigh D’Alessio of Morristown, New Jersey, a passenger in a 2008 crash in which four teens were in one vehicle. The driver, 17-year-old Tanner Birch, was also killed in the crash and two other young passengeres were injured.
The GDL program has been in effect for some time, but the new decal—as well as consequences for all teen violators in a vehicle whether they are the driver or a passenger—will help police spot GDL violators and beef up enforcement.
"Kyleigh’s Law," signed by Gov. Corzine on July 1, 2009, will go into effect July 1, 2010, and apply to all new drivers’ licenses issued after that date. (Sept 2009)