New Jersey and Indiana Have New Laws Addressing Teen Drivers
Lawmakers in Indiana and New Jersey have written new traffic laws specifically to address teens and children.
In New Jersey, the new legislation involves not more stringent drunk driving consequences, but actually a sort of immunity for kids who party a little too hard.
If Garden State Governor Jon S. Corzine signs the bill, anyone under 21 who calls the police and asks for medical assistance when another teen has had too much alcohol, neither the person who calls nor the person who needs help can be prosecuted.
The New Jersey Assembly and Senate have already approved the measure. Proponents of the immunity law believe it will help save lives, since teens would no longer be too afraid of the consequences to call for help.
In Indiana, on the other hand, the rules for teens are getting stricter. Effective on Wednesday, July 1, drivers under the age of eighteen will be facing a fine of up to $500 if they're caught using a cell phone while driving, even if it's hands-free.
State Senator Thomas Wyss (R Fort Wayne), who co-sponsored the legislation leading to the ban, told reporters that teen drivers were inexperienced, and that cell phones were a serious distraction. He also said, "I would suspect there are going to be areas, and I encourage it, where judges make them come into the courtroom and really answer to the charge."
It's not just teen drivers who are being affected by new Indiana legislation, however. Another law going into effect on Wednesday will make a $500 fine a possible consequence for school bus drivers who fail to ensure that there are no children still aboard at the end of their routes each day.
This law was written after a four-year-old Richmond child, and three South Bend students, were left on parked school buses.
