NJ Forces Special Red Stickers on Under 21 Drivers

[Greenday]

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/03/new-jersey-law-requires-red-tag-for-drivers-under-age-21.html

Basically, along with the crapload of other restrictions on young drivers, drivers under 21 years old must have a red sticker on their license plate. I have no idea what good this is supposed to accomplish. It just say, "I'm young, please wait for me by my car and mug/rape/attack me!" None of my friend's siblings put the sticker on their car and I encourage others not to do it. Cops don't really enforce it. So why do we even have it? I'm guessing it's so politicians can say they are making it safer for younger drivers being on the road. Douches.

[KnitShoni]

So...apparently, these decals are supposed to prevent accidents. Um...I must be dense, because I don't really see how.

[Greenday]

If anything, they'll cause more accidents because you'll be too busy looking for the sticker than traffic.

[Rageaholic]

Oh my god that's STUPID. There is no reason for such a stupid law and that includes the other restrictions. They make all those who are under 21 pay for the acts of one idiot teenager?

DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB!

[Greenday]

When I was 17 and got my license (almost six years ago now), the restrictions were:

Provisional license for 1 year
No driving between 12am-5am. No exceptions, including work.
No more than one non-relative passanger in the car.
No driving out of state.
No points or else you have to restart the 1 year.

Can't think of anything else. But it's gotten even more strict over the past few years from what I hear.

[HYHYBT]

Wow, we didn't have *any* of those when I got mine, though Georgia's changed since then. We do, last I heard, have an exception for work.

Why the **** do they care about driving out of state?

[Greenday]

Why the **** do they care about driving out of state?

I don't know, but you asking this proves how worthless that rule is. I've driven out of state with my provisional. All of my friends have. And cops outside of New Jersey have absolutely no idea what the rules are. One of my friends got pulled over in New York and the cop saw it was a provisional license. He had to ask my friend what the restrictions were. Do you REALLY think my friend was going to say she can't drive out of state?

[AdminAssistant]

Wow. Dad started teaching me how to drive when I was 12. I got my learner's permit when I was 14 and got a hardship permit to drive myself to school when I was 15. Full license when I was 16. Now they aren't letting people drive until 17/18? And a sticker? WTF.

[Cheshire]

For those whom didn't read the article;

The sticker’s primary purpose is to allow law enforcement to identify those driving on provisional licenses, which are subject to stricter rules under the law. For instance, New Jersey drivers under age 21 can be pulled over for driving between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. or for carrying too many passengers. These are violations of the graduated driver’s license systems.

The stickers seem a rather good idea from the law enforcement side, however I am not fond of the stricter rules placed upon those drivers.

[AdminAssistant]

Yes, but I think Greenday brings up a good point in regards to safety. It basically announces, "Young, inexperienced person here! Please rob, rape, or maim!" Besides, why can't they drive between 11 pm and 5 am? What if they have to work? There were plenty of times that my rehearsals went past 11 pm...how else was I supposed to get home?

When I have kids, I hope I don't live in a state with stupid laws like this, because they are going to learn how to drive early and often.

[Andara Bledin]

So, these stickers aren't permanent and can be peeled off in the event of an older person driving.

How long before we see pranksters at high schools stripping all of the $4 (is that $4 each?) stickers from the cars in the parking lot and attaching them to the cars in the faculty lot?

^-.-^

[Greenday]

How long before we see pranksters at high schools stripping all of the $4 (is that $4 each?) stickers from the cars in the parking lot and attaching them to the cars in the faculty lot?

Will forward this to people back home. Thanks!

[Tony Fox]

Briitish Columbia has been using tags like this for years now to identify drivers in the two steps of the graduated licensing program, and I don't recall hearing any incidents of someone being mugged, raped, maimed, mauled, or otherwise illegally inconvenienced because of them.

Ours are either a red 'L' or a green 'N' that go on the back of the car; they're not tied to age, but to the stage of licensing - 'L' is for learners in their first step, when there's some seriously tight restrictions, while 'N' (or 'Z' - you wouldn't believe how many of them are turned sideways because 'Z' is cooler, I guess) is for the second stage - tight but more relaxed restrictions. They're very visible, and most of the people using them are definitely in their teens.

[Hyena Dandy]

I see the POINT of the stickers. I can see WHY you would have them. I perfectly understand the logic behind them. Unfortunately, I think its a well-intentioned idea done badly.

[Greenday]

Ours are either a red 'L' or a green 'N' that go on the back of the car; they're not tied to age, but to the stage of licensing - 'L' is for learners in their first step, when there's some seriously tight restrictions, while 'N' (or 'Z' - you wouldn't believe how many of them are turned sideways because 'Z' is cooler, I guess) is for the second stage - tight but more relaxed restrictions. They're very visible, and most of the people using them are definitely in their teens.

So then it's not the same. Because this sticker literallys means "I am under 21 years old".

[Tony Fox]

So then it's not the same. Because this sticker literallys means "I am under 21 years old".

If it's specifically age-related, then yeah, I see a problem - if nothing else, it's discriminatory to point out any particular group because of its age. As part of a GLP like ours, I can understand using the markers, but not just to say 'Hey, this driver's young.'

[Greenday]

Yea, you only have to have the sticker if you are under 21.