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New Jersey

June 2009


Aggressive Driving Laws

Aggressive Driver Actions

Comments

  New Jersey enforces against aggressive driving under title 39, through existing laws.  The offense may be adjudicated under 39:4-97 (Aggressive Driving), 39:4-97 (Careless Driving), 39-4-97.2 (Operating a vehicle in an Unsafe Manner) or any other statute at the discretion of the officer.
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Cell Phone Driving Laws

Handheld Ban

All Cell Phone Ban

Text Messaging Ban

Enforcement

Crash
Data
Collected

Pre-
emption
Law

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

All Drivers

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

Yes

Yes

<21 w/ GDL or Provisional License

Yes

Covered under all driver ban

Covered under all driver ban

Primary

Yes

 

Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Child Passenger Safety Laws

Child Restraint Required
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Adult seat belt Permissible
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Maximum Fine
First Offense

<8 (and <80) in rear seat if available

Not permissible

$25 plus court fees

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Drug Impaired Driving Laws

Per Se Laws for Drugs
(Forbidding Prohibited Substances in
Driver's Body)

DEC/DRE Programs
(Providing Law Enforcement Training)

 

Yes

Source: State Highway Safety Offices.

Drunk Driving Laws

Admin. License
Suspension on
First Offense

Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension

Increased Penalties for High Blood Alc. Concen-
tration (BAC)

Open Container Laws

Repeat Offender Laws

Vehicle and License
Plate
Sanctions

Ignition Inter-
locks

Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity

 

 

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

Discretionary

Yes

Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws

Learner Stage

Intermediate Stage

Full Privilege
Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Required
Supervised
Driving (Hrs.)
(Nighttime hours in parenthesis)

Min.
Age
(Yrs./
Mos.)

Min.
Duration
(Mos.)

Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Nighttime Driving Restriction

Passenger
Restriction*
(* family members
exempt)

16

6

17

11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
(eff. 5/1/10)

No more than 1 pass.
(eff. 5/1/10)

18

None

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), American Automobile Association (AAA) and State Highway .

Helmet Laws

Motorcyclists

Bicyclists

Universal Helmet Law
(Year Enacted)

Partial Law

Universal Helmet Law Repealed

1968

 

 

<17

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Mature Driver Laws

Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.)

Provisions for Mature Drivers

4

 

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Seat Belt Laws

Type of Law

Who is Covered
(Yrs.)

In What Seat

Maximum Fine
First Offense

Primary

<8 and <80 lbs.

Rear

$20
8-17 All
>18 Front
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Segway Laws

Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths

Permitted on Roads

Helmets Required

Minimum Age

Pedestrian Laws Apply

Sidewalks and bicycle paths

Yes

Yes

16

 

Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
Sobriety Checkpoint Laws

Checkpoints Conducted?

Comments

Yes

Once or twice a month

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed Limit Laws

Rural Interstates

Urban Interstates

Other Limited Access Roads

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

65 65 55 55 65 65

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed and Red Light Cameras

State Law

Loca-
tion

Viola-
tions

Citation Issued to Whom

Lia-
bility

Image

Tradi-
tional Enforce-
ment Penalties

Records/ Points/ Penalties

De-
fenses

Privacy

Prohibited unless local jurisdictions w/ ordinance; must apply apply to Transportation Commissioner (pilot program) Red light   Registered owner Registered owner and driver are jointly liable 2 or more images of vehicle and tag $85 Same as for traditional citation; no points Not addressed Not addressed
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Work Zone Speed Limit Laws

Multiple of Original Fine

Violations Affected

Workers Must Be Present

Double

All moving vehicle violations

No

Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.