Empowering Parents to be the Chief GDL Enforcer

New Jersey State Senator Robert Singer (R-30) recently wrote to the Asbury Park Press citing the positive impact New Jersey’s decade old Graduated Driver License (GDL) law is having on reducing teen driving crashes, injuries and fatalities to historic lows.  The law, which he sponsored along with Senators Joseph Palaia and Loretta Weinberg, and Assemblymen Joseph Malone and the late Melvin Cottrell, is held up as model for other states thanks to its older licensing age (17 versus 16 in many other states) and strong provisions (11 p.m. curfew, one passenger limit, seat belt mandate, electronic device ban) that address those things that cause the greatest risk for teen drivers (distraction and inattention caused not only by cell phones and texting but other teens riding in the vehicle, driving at night and lack of occupant restraint).

Research confirms that GDL laws work – New Jersey’s has sparked a 56 percent reduction in teen driving fatalities over the past 10 years.  But research also shows that parental support and enforcement of GDL is essential.  In fact, teen drivers who report having parents who set rules and monitor their activities in a helpful, supportive way are half as likely to crash.  They’re also 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated and 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone when driving.  The problem is many parents do not know about the GDL law and/or understand how and why it works.   

Efforts are underway to remedy this situation.  Parent/teen education programs are being conducted at schools and in community based settings around the state by members of the New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition, a volunteer organization made up of more than 50 individuals and organizations dedicated to helping parents leverage the proven principles of GDL.  Some schools even require teens to attend an education program with a parent in order to complete driver education or to obtain parking privileges on campus.  (I’m pleased to note that my son’s high school, West Morris Central in Chester, has such a requirement.)  But this scattershot approach isn’t getting the job done.

What’s needed is a requirement that a teen attend an education program with a parent or guardian as a pre-requisite for obtaining a permit.  Connecticut enacted such a mandate in 2008; teens and their parents are required to attend a two-hour education program to learn about that state’s GDL law, the dangers involved in teen driving, and the vital role parents play not just during the permit phase, but in the high risk period right after a teen is licensed.

Recent research conducted by the Preusser Research Group, on behalf of the Connecticut DOT and DMV, found that parents strongly endorsed the education requirement, gave the course and instructors high ratings, and noted that the training will help them in their role as a parent of a teen driver. But more importantly, parents said that because of the training, they were doing things with their teen they would not have done otherwise, and many said they were more likely to enforce GDL provisions as a result of the training.

The teen driving programs currently offered in New Jersey run 60 to 90 minutes and are jam-packed with information designed to empower parents to partner with their teens to help them get through the most dangerous time of their life.  Parents who participate in these programs consistently indicate that they now not only know the law, but understand and appreciate the rationale for it and the vital role they play as chief enforcer.

Legislation that would ensure that every family receives this critical information prior to their teen’s licensure has been introduced in both the Assembly and Senate.  Sponsored by Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19) and Senator Brian Stack (D-33), A3309/S3058 would require a teen (under 18 years of age) who is seeking a permit to participate in an education program with a parent, guardian or supervising adult.  Additionally, the bill would lengthen the permit from a minimum of six to 12 months (not a heavy lift for teens since most obtain a permit at 16 and cannot take the behind the wheel driving test until they’re 17) and require permit holders to log a minimum number of supervised practice hours (a mandate in 43 other states) with an experienced, licensed driver – typically a parent.

All three of these initiatives were included in the March 2008 report of the New Jersey Teen Driver Study Commission (a group I had the privilege to chair while serving as Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety), the same document that prompted the changes to the GDL law that took effect last year.  The report included 47 recommendations, 14 of which the Commission deemed essential for stemming the tide of teen driving crashes that were claiming young lives across the state.  While the Legislature passed a number of these essential recommendations including an earlier curfew, a tighter passenger restriction, an identifier to aid with enforcement, and mandatory belt use by all adult passengers riding in the back seat, it’s time for our elected officials to finish the job.

While you wouldn’t build a house without first laying a solid foundation, the same holds true for New Jersey’s GDL law.  The permit phase is the critical first step in helping novice drivers build skill and become good drivers for life.  Research shows, however, that many parents are unsure about the best techniques and practices for supervising the initial driving of their teens.  Add to that a lack of understanding about how their own driving behavior – for better or worse – has been a model for their teens for many years. 

Yes, there are instructional and advisory materials to help parents deal with these issues – New Jersey’s GDL law requires the Division of  Highway Traffic Safety and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to print and distribute a guide to all newly permitted drivers – but merely providing  these materials to parents (if their teens bring them home) hasn’t done the trick.  And while detractors may argue that families are busy and shouldn’t be told what to do, requiring them to give up an hour of their time to learn how they can “vaccinate” their teens against car crashes – the number one killer of 16-20 year olds in our state – is hardly intrusive or a waste of time.

New Jersey’s GDL law is good thanks to the leadership of Senator Singer and others in Trenton, but making it great will necessitate passing legislation that ensures parents are fully equipped to put that law to work for their teens.  I hope you’ll join with me in calling on your legislators to support this bill and make its passage a priority before the current session ends in January.