New Jersey to Require Special Decals on Teens' Cars
"Oh My God, My State-Level Elected Representatives Are So Embarrassing. . ."
That chorus of "whatever"s you're hearing this morning is coming from New Jersey, where Governor Jon Corzine has signed a law that will require drivers under 21 to display an identifying decal on any vehicle they drive. The law is set to go into effect next year, according to the Associated Press.
The director of New Jersey's Division of Highway Safety says that police officers will use the decals to determine if teenagers are violating New Jersey's driving curfew and vehicle passenger restrictions (not to determine who is a total dork).
New Jersey becomes the first state to adopt an identifying decal measure for teen drivers, although the AP reports that the Delaware Department of Transportation is considering offering newly licensed drivers the opportunity to display a "reflective orange magnet that says, in black, capital letters: 'NOVICE DRIVER'."
Unlike the mandatory New Jersey law, use of the Delaware vehicle magnets would be voluntary for young drivers, which will only make other states' teens want to hang out in Delaware after school because Delaware's lawmakers totally get it and aren't all like, lame and stuff.
- AP / FindLaw News: The Carlet Letter? NJ Tags New Drivers with Decal
- Gloucester County (NJ) Times: Decal to ID Teen Drivers
- State-by-State Traffic Laws (FindLaw)
- Your Driver's License FAQ (FindLaw)