Kyleigh's Law: Mandatory Decals for Young Drivers

In the state of New Jersey the process to get a driver's license for new drivers consists of: Passing a written test Driving on a learner's permit for at least six months Taking a road test at the Department of Motor Vehicles Driving with a provisional license for one full year The most recent process for new drivers allowed them to take a six-hour course as soon as they turn sixteen (upon passing the written test with a score of 80% [40/50 correct]). During this course they drive with a certified driving instructor in a special car consisting of a working foot brake for the instructor situated in the passenger seat. If they pass this "driving school" they acquire their learner's permit, which they need to have for at least six months, but may not take their road test prior to turning seventeen. Under the learner's permit, they are permitted to drive with a licensed driver in the passenger seat who is at least 21 years of age and has had their license (unrestricted) for at least three years. The student driver is not permitted to drive between midnight and 5:00 AM, and they may not drive out of state. If the student driver turns seventeen and has had their permit for six months, they are allowed to take the road test at a NJ DMV. Upon passing this test they receive their provisional driver's license, which they have for one full year. Under the provisional driver's license they may only drive with one non-family member as a passenger (the driver may have a full car of blood related family members), may not drive from midnight to 5:00 AM, and they can not drive out of state. After one year, the driver may go to the DMV and have his or her license promoted to an unrestricted license. [1] Back in 2006, 16-year-old Kyleigh D'Alessio died in a passenger car accident. The driver (17-year-old male) drove their Audi TT into a tree with two other passengers. Kyleigh and the driver died and the two other passengers have been injured. [2] Since the accident, friends and family have been fighting to pass stricter laws on new drivers. And as of April 15, 2009, Governor Jon Corzine signed Kyleigh's Law which will be enforced in the state of New Jersey starting May 2010 [3] Under Kyleigh's Law the following restrictions are now put in place: For 16-year-olds on their learner's permit: Same restrictions as before Now cannot drive between 11:00 PM – 5:00 AM Permit must now be held for at least 12 months. Accompanying licensed driver must live at the same address as the permit driver No more than one accompanying passenger (on top of the licensed supervising passenger) regardless of family relation. For 17-year-olds: Same restrictions as before May not drive between the hours of 11:00 PM – 5:00 AM Mandatory license suspension for any motor vehicle offense Increase the suspension time from three months to five months Takes away the right to plea bargaining in court when issued a ticket. Restrictions upheld now until the driver is 21-years-old [4] And any driver that possesses a learner's permit, or provisional driver's license must have an orange decal to be displayed on the vehicle. As for all the restrictions listed above, there are certain ones I agree with, and others that I feel are unjust to these new drivers. But the one that my opponent and I will be focusing on in this debate is the mandatory decal that is to be issued to all student drivers. The mandatory orange decal will be the largest form of profiling for these new drivers. Not only will the police be looking for these decals to pull these young drivers for an easy citation (which will go through) but sexual predators can as well. This decal signifies a young driver (ages 16-21) and these young adults are put at risk. A sexual predator may be waiting by one of these cars for an unsuspecting victim at the store or a friend's house. This decal puts them at risk for rape or other sexual offenses along with being preyed upon by police officers. To my opponent and any spectators I would just like to clarify that I am an 18-year-old male driver in the state of New Jersey. This law does not apply to me because I have completed my provisional driving well before the date of which this new law will be enforced. I am not here to argue because this is not fair to me but because I feel this is an injustice to new drivers getting their license. I wish my opponent good luck and a fair fight. The bill that was passed can be found at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us... Works Cited: [1] - http://www.dmv.org... [2] - http://www.njherald.com... [3] - http://strosecourier.com...'s-law'-not-such-a-good-idea/ [4] - http://www.njleg.state.nj.us...