New Jersey’s license plate decal requirement for graduated driver licenses : attitudes of parents and teenagers, observed decal use, and citations for teenage driving violations.

On May 1, 2010, New Jersey implemented a law requiring teenagers with learner’s permits or probationary licenses to display reflective decals on the front and rear license plates when they drive. The current study examined attitudes of parents and teenagers toward this requirement, use of the decals, teenagers’ reported violations of the graduated driver license law, and police enforcement of the law. Statewide telephone surveys of representative samples of parents and teenagers were conducted in February-April 2010 and March-June 2011. Interviews were conducted with parents of probationary license holders and their teenagers, if possible, and with parents of learner’s permit holders. Use of decals among drivers with probationary licenses was observed at four high schools in fall 2010 and in spring 2011, and hand-out surveys were distributed to drivers. Monthly statewide and county data on citations issued for violations of the graduated driver license law were obtained. Results: When interviewed about a year after the decal requirement took effect, a large majority of parents of probationary license holders, parents of learner’s permit holders, and teenagers with probationary licenses disapproved of the decal requirement for probationary licenses; most said they strongly disapproved of it. In 2011, about two-thirds of both sets of parents and about half of the teenagers disapproved of decals for learner’s permits. Support for the decals for both license types declined significantly from 2010 to 2011. For parents and teenagers alike, the main reason for opposing the decals was concern over the identification and/or targeting of teenage drivers by other drivers, predators, or police. In 2011, 77 percent of parents of probationary license holders said their teenagers had decals for the vehicles they drive most often; 46 percent said their teenagers always use decals when they drive. Fifty-six percent of parents of learner’s permit holders said their teenagers had decals for the vehicles they drive most often; 37 percent said their teenagers always use decals when they drive. Teenagers’ reported violations of graduated driver license restrictions either increased or were similar in 2011 compared with 2010. Observed rates of decal use by student drivers at four high schools in spring 2011 ranged from 24 to 64 percent. The percentage of drivers with either the decal backing or the decals ranged from 53 to 89 percent. The number of citations issued statewide for violations of the graduated driver license law doubled in the year after the decal requirement took effect, compared with the year before. When citations for decal violations are excluded the number of citations increased by 52 percent. Most parents and teenagers oppose the New Jersey decal requirement, primarily due to concerns about the identification and potential targeting of teenage drivers. Many teenagers do not use the decals when they drive. A substantial increase in the number of citations issued for violations of the graduated driver license law suggests that the decal requirement is facilitating police enforcement. However, based on teenage drivers’ self-reported violations of the law, the requirement does not appear to have achieved the ultimate goal of increased compliance. (Author/publisher)