Bill Text: NJ S2755 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes municipal court judge to enroll convicted drivers in aggressive driving programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-03 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2755 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S2755-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator FRED H. MADDEN, JR.
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes municipal court judges to enroll convicted drivers in aggressive driving programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act authorizing municipal court judges to enroll convicted drivers in aggressive driving programs and amending R.S.39:5-7.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.39:5-7 is amended to read as follows:
39:5-7 In any proceeding instituted pursuant to the provisions of this subtitle, except where a mandatory penalty is fixed herein, the [magistrate] judge may suspend the imposition or execution of sentence, and may also place the defendant on probation under the supervision of the chief probation officer of the county for a period of not less than six months nor more than one year or under conditions established by the judge, may place a defendant whose conviction for a moving violation results from conduct determined to involve aggressive driving in a program, if the judge determines that the defendant would benefit from the program designed to reduce defendant's aggression while driving.
The probation shall be effected and administered pursuant to the provisions of sections 2A:168-1 to 2A:168-13 of the New Jersey Statutes.
(cf: P.L.1953, c.36, s.9)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes municipal court judges to place defendants whose convictions result from aggressive driving in programs to reduce aggression. Certain programs designed by psychologists and health education experts with special expertise in stress management, aggression and save driving may provide aggressive drivers with the following results:
1. Reduce incidents of aggression caused by program participants; and
2. Allow aggressive driver to understand the conditions that lead to aggressive driving and develop coping responses.
Rowan University has an aggressive driving program in Gloucester County that reduces the aggression by using behavioral modification techniques to develop different coping responses to events which may lead to aggressive driving.
