People who live in New Jersey should be able to trust that their state does as much as possible to keep its residents safe. This can include many things and parts of life, such as enacting laws to ensure that drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists are safe on area roads and highways. Every driver has the ability to make their own choices about how to operate a vehicle but the presence of laws and penalties for reckless or unsafe operation may help guide wise decisions.
A recent report by NJ1015.com provided some insights into the results of a study that took a look at the driving laws in each state across the nation. The study was conducted by the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration. There were some areas in which New Jersey ranked very well in terms of protecting its residents. Other laws were found to be somewhat lacking in strength.
On the low end, New Jersey is one of only four states in the country that does not mandate a certain number of supervised driving hours for new drivers. It was also found to have weaker seat belt laws than many states with the requirement for seat belts being a primary law only for people in the front seat.
On the high end, the Garden State was found to have the strongest distracted driving laws. It also ranked well for its laws governing the use of helmets for bicyclists and for its speed limits. Overall, New Jersey came in tenth for the strictest driving laws in the U.S.