GUEST OPINION: Repeal red decal requirement

Sen. Tom Goodwin, Hamilton
   May 1, every provisional driver in New Jersey who has not reached the age of 21 is required to affix a red decal to their license plate — a scarlet letter announcement to the world that the car contains a young person.
   ”Kyleigh’s Law,” as the act is now called, was passed following the death of a young New Jersey teenager, Kyleigh D’Alessio. While the circumstances surrounding Kyleigh’s death are tragic, the measure that now shares her name will put even more of our children at risk.
   That is why I have introduced legislation that will immediately repeal the decal provision of Kyleigh’s Law. While I am supportive of the graduated license program and other reforms that will increase teen-driver safety, this one aspect of the law simply fails to protect young people.
   Unfortunately, Trenton politicians rushed this bill through without thinking about the adverse effects of marking teen drivers with a red decal on their license plates. Concerned parents keep telling me the same thing — we need thoughtful solutions on how to improve teen driver safety — and not impulsive reactions.
   While this law was written with good intentions, it will almost certainly lead to unintended consequences. Quite simply, the decal provision is a dangerous measure that has the potential to place our children directly in harm’s way. By following the decals, predators will be able to easily identify the cars that 250,000 of our children are driving or will soon return to.
   For young people, especially teenage girls, this red sticker attaches a bull’s eye directly on their automobiles. A sexual predator passing through a neighborhood will be able to easily identify exactly where a minor lives, just by glancing at the decal on a teen’s car in their own driveway.
   Parents may be able to protect their children from predators in their own homes, but what about when they are away? College students, living on their own for the first time, will have their cars and residences marked as vulnerable.
   Wherever our children go, these decals will mark their location for everyone, both good and bad, to see. No young person should have to worry that when they return to their parked car, they are also returning to a waiting predator who was lured by a license plate decal and a chance for easy prey.
   All parents want to protect their children, whether they are behind the wheel or walking alone through a parking lot. For me, as a parent, this is not an issue of politics, but of common sense. We shouldn’t be satisfied with a measure that is meant to help our teens be safer drivers, only to make them less safe overall. I’m not, and that’s why I’m leading the effort to repeal the decal provision of Kyleigh’s Law.
   State Sen. Tom Goodwin represents South Brunswick in the state Senate. He is running for re-election as a Republican.