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Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill on Monday, Jan. 8, that requires student drivers 21 years old and under to spend at least 50 practice hours with an adult. The law also requires at least ten hours to be completed at night.
Parents or other adults must certify the practice driving hours were completed.
The new law also requires a sample driving log to be included in informational brochures given to parents or adults of student drivers under 18. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission can suspend the privileges of any permit holder who submits a false certification.
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety applauded the new regulations for student drivers.
"The loss of life or infliction of serious injury due to crashes involving teen or novice drivers is devastating, and often preventable," said Cathy Chase, who's the president of the advocacy group.
"Supervised driving will better prepare young drivers who tend to take greater risks and lack experience, which is a dangerous combination. This crucial update to the state’s GDL law will make roadways in New Jersey safer for all road users."
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,116 drivers between 15 and 20 years old died in crashes in 2021. That was up by 11 percent in 2020 when 1,899 young drivers were killed.
The NHTSA data also said 79 (or 11.3%) of the 699 deadly crashes in New Jersey in 2021 involved young drivers. That's slightly below the national average of 13.0 percent.
A WalletHub study released in August 2023 said New Jersey was the third-best state for teen drivers. The Garden State only trailed New York for fewest teen driver deaths per teen population.
WalletHub also ranked New Jersey second best in safety, using additional statistics like teen DUI violations per 100,000 teens, several distracted driving-related metrics, and driving schools per capita.
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