Senate Transportation Committee Advances Two Bills to Change the Written Portion of the Driver’s Examination

Trenton – In an effort to respond to the prevalence of distracted driving and in order to mitigate some of the problems occurring because of an overwhelmed Motor Vehicle Commission due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Senate Transportation Committee today passed two bills that would make changes to the written portion of the driver’s license examination.

The first bill, S-1602, sponsored by Senator Richard Codey, would require the driver’s license examination to include questions on distracted driving. Under the bill, it would be a violation for motorists to talk or text on hand-held wireless devices while their vehicle is temporarily stopped. However, the bill provides that it is not a violation for a motorist to talk or text on a phone when the vehicle has been pulled over to the side of or off of the road and has stopped in a location where the vehicle can safely remain stationary.

“Distracted driving is a huge problem that persists especially in younger drivers,” said Senator Codey (D-Essex/Morris). “While it remains a problem, the current test lacks any mention of distracted driving, leaving many new drivers unaware of the risks that come with quickly picking up their phone while operating a vehicle. This bill will ensure that all new drivers will receive education on distracted driving and will hopefully discourage the practice of doing so.”

The second bill, S-3177, sponsored by Senators Patrick Diegnan and Kristin Corrado, would require the NJMVC to allow an applicant for a special learner’s permit or examination permit to complete the written driver’s license knowledge examination through a secure Internet website operated by the commission.

“Our hope with this bill is to take some of the stress away from these applicants and assist them with this process during this difficult time,” said Senator Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “For some applicants, applying for a license is a timely necessity, and many Motor Vehicle Commission agencies within the state are still overwhelmed with processing license renewals from months ago. By allowing the exam to be taken online, we can speed up this process and get these applicants on the road sooner than later.”

Under the bill, the parent or guardian of an applicant who is under 18 years of age would be required to be present during the examination and they must certify that they did not provide assistance to applicant and that the applicant did not utilize any reference materials. Applicants who are 18 years of age or older would be able to certify this themselves.

The bills were released by committee by votes of 7-0.