Proposed Rules Double Practice Time For NJ Teen Drivers
TRENTON, NJ (CBS) - Efforts to strengthen New Jersey laws on teenagers behind the wheel of a car make their way to a full state Assembly vote soon, but whether they'll clear the Senate and make it to the Governor's desk are another matter.
The plan, which cleared an Assembly committee, would double the number of hours of training time for teens -- from 50 to 100 hours without professional help -- and require parents or guardians to sign off on that practice time.
"It's just our attempt to be able to continue to give the parent participation that's really necessary for our teens to have the full driving experience that they need," says Pamela Lampitt, the bill's co-sponsor.
Lampitt would put the adults on the honor system, "Getting people to sign their name to this sort of care and concern of their children makes it just more formal and makes it more real and more responsible."
Mind you, there's nothing to stop an adult from lying about it.
It would also extend the length of a learner's permit from six months to a year. The senate must act on the bill before year's end or the package starts from scratch in January. It now sits in a senate committee.
Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060
