SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1677

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: SEPTEMBER 19, 1996

 

      The Senate Commerce Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1677 (2R).

      This bill requires the Division of Motor Vehicles to prepare and distribute to law enforcement agencies abbreviated accident information forms calling for basic information about the driver of each vehicle involved in an accident. The requested basic information includes the driver's name; address; driver's license number; vehicle registration number; insurer; and insurance policy number. Law enforcement officers would be responsible for ensuring that such forms are completed by each driver and distributed to the other drivers.

      Current law requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident to provide his name and address and exhibit his driver's license and registration certificate to the other driver. Current law also requires that if a law enforcement officer investigates a vehicle accident, he must complete a motor vehicle accident report and send it to the Division of Motor Vehicles within five days. Current police practice typically is to separate the drivers and obtain information from them individually. Thus, when a police officer is present, the drivers often leave the scene of an accident without the basic information they are required to provide each other by law. Moreover, neither the drivers nor their insurers obtain any information about the other driver to begin processing a claim until the accident report has been filed and is made available. This bill is intended to address this situation.

      This bill is identical to Senate Bill No. 1311 (1R).