Bill Text: NJ A5339 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requires driver education programs to be inclusive of all students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-15 - Reported out of Asm. Comm. with Amendments, and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee [A5339 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A5339-Amended.html
ASSEMBLY, No. 5339
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JANUARY 27, 2021
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE CHAPARRO
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Benson
SYNOPSIS
Requires driver education programs to be inclusive of all students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee on March 15, 2021, with amendments.
An Act concerning driver education, supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and amending P.L.1998, c.108.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) School districts shall establish a driver education program, including classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education, that is inclusive of all students, including students with autism spectrum disorder.
2. Section 8 of P.L.1998, c.108 (C.27:5F-41) is amended to read as follows:
8. a. The Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, after consultation with the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, shall develop curriculum guidelines for use by teachers of approved classroom driver education courses. The course of instruction for approved courses shall be no less than 30 hours in length and be designed to develop and instill the knowledge and attitudes necessary for the safe operation and driving of motor vehicles. Defensive driving; highway courtesy; dangers of driving a vehicle in an aggressive manner, which shall include, but not be limited to, unexpectedly altering the speed of a vehicle, making improper or erratic traffic lane changes, disregarding traffic control devices, failing to yield the right of way, and following another vehicle too closely; accident avoidance; understanding and respect for the State's motor vehicle laws; techniques for the safe operation and proper maintenance of a vehicle, which shall include, but not be limited to, safety tips to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicles; insurance fraud; operating a motor vehicle in a manner that safely shares the roadway with pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, riders of motorized-scooters, and other non-motorized vehicles, which shall include, but not be limited to, passing a cyclist on the roadway, recognizing bicycle lanes, navigating intersections with pedestrians and cyclists, and exiting a vehicle without endangering pedestrians and cyclists; and State requirements for and benefits of maintaining automobile insurance shall be emphasized. The incorporation of these curriculum guidelines in these classroom courses and the use of related instructional materials shall be a requirement for approval of the course by the chief administrator. The curriculum shall be developed in a manner that allows all students to be included in the driver education program, including students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
b. The Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, in consultation with the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, shall produce an informational brochure for parents and guardians of beginning drivers under the age of 18 years. The commission shall ensure that the parents or guardians of a permit holder receive these brochures at the time a permit is issued to a beginning driver. The brochures shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1) Setting an example for the beginning driver;
(2) Accident and fatality statistics about beginning drivers;
(3) Causes of accidents among beginning drivers;
(4) The need to supervise vehicle operation by a beginning driver;
(5) Methods to coach a beginning driver on how to reduce accidents;
(6) A description of the graduated driver's license program;
(7) Benefits of classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education under the direction of State certified or licensed driving instructors, as the case may be;
(8) The dangers of driving a vehicle in an aggressive manner, which shall include, but not be limited to, unexpectedly altering the speed of a vehicle, making improper or erratic traffic lane changes, disregarding traffic control devices, failing to yield the right of way, and following another vehicle too closely;
(9) The dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicles and techniques for the safe operation and proper maintenance of a vehicle, which shall include, but not be limited to, safety tips to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicles; and
(10) Maintaining an awareness of operating a motor vehicle in a manner that safely shares the roadway with pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, riders of motorized-scooters, and other non-motorized vehicles, which shall include, but not be limited to, passing a cyclist on the roadway, recognizing bicycle lanes, navigating intersections with pedestrians and cyclists, and exiting a vehicle without endangering pedestrians and cyclists.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.374, s.2)
3. Section 10 of P.L.1998, c.108 (C.27:5F-43) is amended to read as follows:
10. a. The Director of the 1[Office] Division1 of Highway Traffic Safety shall make recommendations to the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with respect to rules and regulations promulgated under P.L.1998, c.108 including, but not limited to, the development of uniform curriculum guidelines for approved classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education.
b. The course of instruction for behind-the-wheel driver education shall be designed to develop the skills necessary for the safe and lawful operation of a motor vehicle. Defensive driving, highway courtesy, appropriate driving behavior and attitudes, accident avoidance, safe passing and lane changing, and a general understanding of and respect for the State's motor vehicle laws shall be emphasized. The course of instruction for behind-the-wheel driver education shall be designed in a manner that allows all students to be included in the driver education program, including students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
(cf: P.L.2010, c.87, s.22)
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
