SENATE, No. 1166

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 30, 1996

By Senator CARDINALE

An Act concerning driver licensing and amending and supplementing P.L.1977, c.28.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 1 of P.L. 1977, c.28 (C.39:3-10c) is amended to read as follows:

    1. The division shall require every licensed driver to take and successfully pass a screening of his vision at least once every [10] eight years as a condition for the renewal of his driver's license and of any endorsement thereon.

    The vision screening may be certified by the division or by any licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist, licensed ophthalmic dispenser or by any person licensed to practice medicine and surgery. If the screening shows a need for corrective eyeglasses or any other corrective action, the renewal of the applicant's license shall be conditioned upon his compliance with such need. The division may require a road test of any applicant to determine the adequacy of, or the applicant's adaptation to the required corrective action.

    The division shall, by regulation, prescribe minimum standards with respect to the equipment to be used for screenings.

(cf: P.L.1989, c.15, s.1)

    2. Section 2 of P.L.1977, c.28 (C.39:3-10d) is amended to read as follows:

    2. To implement the reexamination program provided for by this act and to establish it on a current basis, the division shall reexamine [approximately 10% of all of the State's licensed drivers in each year during the first 10 years following the date this act becomes operative] , upon renewal of their driver's licenses, those persons who have been licensed for eight years or longer . Once reexamined [during said 10-year period], no licensed driver shall be again reexamined pursuant

to the provisions of this act sooner than [10] eight years thereafter.

(cf: P. L.1977, c. 28, s. 2)

    3. (New section) No later than 60 days after the effective date of this act, the director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall appear before the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee and the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee, or their successors, meeting jointly, to report on the division's plans and progress in implementing this act. No later than one year after the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter, the director shall report to a joint meeting of these committees on the progress of the division in implementing this act.

    4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the 13th month after enactment, provided that the director may immediately take any preparatory actions necessary for its implementation.

STATEMENT

    This bill would require drivers to pass a vision test every eight years as a condition for retaining their drivers' licenses. This retesting program is intended to reduce traffic accidents by identifying vision problems and removing potentially dangerous drivers from the roads until these problems are corrected. Persons who have been licensed eight years or longer would be required to pass the vision screening upon renewal of their drivers' licenses and every eight years thereafter. Forty-two other states presently require some form of vision retesting for licensed drivers.

    The bill permits the vision screening to be certified by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or by any licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist, licensed ophthalmic dispenser or by any person licensed to practice medicine and surgery. It also requires the Director of DMV to appear within 60 days before a joint session of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee and the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee, or their successors, to report on the division's plans and progress in implementing this act. The director is also required to make an annual progress report to these committees regarding DMV's implementation of the vision retesting program.

    New Jersey has had a law on the books since 1977 (P.L.1977, c.28) requiring DMV to test the vision of all licensed drivers every 10 years. Except for a brief period, DMV has chosen not to carry out this requirement, pleading a lack of funding.

    This bill would take effect one year after enactment in order to give DMV time to obtain the necessary funding and take other necessary preparatory actions.

Mandates eye test every eight years for drivers.