STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL
District 10 (Ocean)
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to provide instruction on the dangers of texting while driving as part of the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning driver safety instruction in public school districts and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, each school district shall incorporate instruction on the dangers of cell phone usage and text messaging while driving into the health education curriculum for students in grades 9 through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
b. The instruction shall provide students with:
(1) information concerning the correlation between distracted driving and erratic driving behavior, such as lane-weaving and sudden speed changes, and driving accidents; and
(2) statistics concerning the number of driving accidents, injuries, and fatalities resulting form cell phone usage and text messaging while driving.
c. The Commissioner of Education shall provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources designed to promote awareness of the dangers associated with cell phone usage and text messaging while driving.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires school districts to provide instruction on the dangers of cell phone usage and text messaging while driving as part of the implementation of the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The instruction will provide students in grades 9 through 12 with: information concerning the correlation between distracted driving and erratic driving behavior, such as lane-weaving and sudden speed changes, and driving accidents; and statistics concerning the number of driving accidents, injuries and fatalities resulting form cell phone usage and text messaging while driving.
Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education will provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources designed to promote awareness of the dangers associated with cell phone usage and text messaging while driving.