New drivers face labyrinth to be licensed

EDITORIAL

   The New Jersey Legislature probably had all the best intentions when it passed a law changing the age and eligibility requirements for getting a driver’s license in the Garden State, effective Jan. 1, 2001.
   The new law establishes a hierarchy of licensure — starting with a special learner’s permit, followed by a provisional license and finally a full license — based on the driver’s age and his or her successful completion of various written tests, vision tests, behind-the-wheel training and road tests. During each of these licensing stages, there are various restrictions, including the number of passengers allowed and the hours of the day during which driving is permitted.
   New Jersey, like most states, has always had some sort of graduated system of licensure. And young drivers have always had some limitations placed on their privileges when they are first starting out. But what was once a rather simple and straightforward system has been rendered almost incomprehensibly complicated by this latest exercise in legislative tinkering.
   The first new wrinkle has to do with the age of licensure. Until this week, the driving age in New Jersey was 17. Not anymore. From now on, it’s 18 — sort of.
   The new law applies to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1985. Those born in 1984 are "grandfathered" into the old system, as long as they got their learner’s permits before they turned 17. (When was the last time you heard of a "grandfather clause" affording protection to 16-year-olds?)
   For anyone born in 1984 who had the foresight to obtain a learner’s permit before the new law took effect, the road to licensure will remain relatively smooth. But for those who didn’t get to the Division of Motor Vehicles before Jan. 1, the road will be considerably bumpier. First, they will have to get a special permit, followed by at least six months of behind-the-wheel training under the supervision of a licensed driver who is over 21; this, in turn, will qualify them to take a road test, which, if they pass, will allow them to continue driving, but only between 5 a.m. and midnight and generally carrying only one passenger who is not a family member. On completion of all these requirements, they still will not be entitled to get a full license until their 18th birthday.
   That’s just for 16-year-olds. For 17-year-olds, the rules are entirely different. They won’t have to take the six-month behind- the-wheel training classes. Instead, once they get a permit, they will be required for the first six months to be accompanied by an experienced driver; then, if they pass a driving test, they will be allowed to drive on their own — but not between midnight and 5 a.m., and not with more than one passenger at a time, except under certain conditions (which, trust us, are far too obscure to get into here).
   Are you still with us? Good. Now you’re ready for yet another set of regulations that apply to new drivers who are 21 and older. Their period of supervised training (but not behind- the-wheel instruction) is three months, followed by nine months of unsupervised driving, during which there is no limitation on the hours they may drive or the number of passengers they may carry.
   Finally, there’s a provision in the new law that has even the legislators who voted for it scratching their heads. Henceforth, only those who start driving under a permit obtained at 16 will have to pass a written exam. New drivers 17 and older do not need to take the written test in order to get their permits. Lawmakers and Department of Transportation officials are now said to be contemplating steps that can be taken to close this "loophole."
   We’re still trying to figure out why the Legislature felt the need to open up this whole matter to begin with. What was so bad about the old system of training, testing and licensing drivers? Whatever it was, it’s hard to imagine that this is going to make things better.