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October 29, 2012

NorthJersey.com -- Road Warrior: Report Rekindles Debate Over Teen Decal

NorthJersey.com -- In this second post from "Road Warrior" John Cichowski, he discusses the continuing debate over New Jersey's decision to be the first state in the nation to require decals as part of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). This debate was rekindled, he says, by CHOP research recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that provides initial evidence showing reduced crash rates among teen drivers with an intermediate license (i.e., probationary license) after the decal requirement was implemented.

Although some teens, parents, and drivers' rights groups still believe that the decals are a threat, not an enhancement to teen driver safety, leading law enforcement officials in the state disagree. According to Chris Wagner, Denville police chief and head of the traffic safety committee of the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police: "It's time for parents and especially police to take an honest look at this study, set aside their prejudices, and step up our game. Now that we have hard numbers to make our case, both parents and police should be much more willing to make the decal an important tool for enforcing the GDL law."