If a person is under 21 years old or has never had a driver license, New Jersey requires that they complete a period of supervised driving before getting a basic driver license. The New Jersey Graduated Driver License (GDL) program introduces driving privileges in phases.There are three options to complete the program:
- The Early Bird Road, for 16 year old drivers,
- The Young Adult Road, for drivers 17-21,
- and The Adult Road, for drivers 21 and older
NJ drivers holding a probationary Graduated Driver License (GDL) have the following restrictions placed upon them:
• May not drive between 11:01 pm and 5 am
• May not have more than one passenger (besides his or her dependents or is accompanied by a parent or guardian)
• May not use a cell phone (including hands-free) or any other hand-held electronic device (Note: GPS systems—portable or built-in—and iPods connected to a vehicle's sound system are permitted, but a teen should not make any adjustments to these devices while driving)
• May not plea-bargain any point- carrying offense
Why does New Jersey require the GDL program?
Studies show that a young driver's risk of being involved in a car crash is highest within his/her first 12-24 months of driving. An average of 6,000 teens die in car crashes nationally each year.
An additional 300,000 teens sustain injuries in crashes; many of those injuries are serious and often life-altering. In fact, car crashes are the leading cause of brain injury in teens. By delaying full driving privileges so that teens can gain driving experience under low-risk conditions, comprehensive GDL programs can reduce these deaths and injuries by approximately 40%. The ultimate goal of the GDL program is to protect the lives of young drivers-and the lives of their passengers and others on the road.
Read more about GDL's at NJ Teen Driving
Read more on NJ Family about Teens Behind the Wheel