WASHINGTON — A weak seat belt law for rear-seat occupants is preventing New Jersey from being a leader in highway safety, according to a report by an advocacy group pushing for additional laws to protect motorists and passengers.
The annual report by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a coalition of consumer groups and insurance companies, highlighted the absence of a state law allowing police officers to pull over a car if the rear occupants are not wearing seat belts. Currently, a driver can be ticketed if those in the rear are not buckled up only if the car first is pulled over for another violation.
“Every person in the car should be buckled up,” said Jackie Gillan, president of the the organization. “Most rear-seat passengers are children and teenagers. Why wouldn’t we extend the law to protect them? It is such a critical lifesaving action.”
N.J. fatalities soared in 2016
The report also called on New Jersey state officials to impose additional restrictions on newly licensed drivers under age 18 and called for an ignition interlock law for everyone convicted of drunk driving.
The state in 2009 passed legislation allowing police officers to hand out tickets for unbuckled back-seat passengers only if the vehicle was stopped for another reason, such as speeding.
“We’ve been saying ever since we need to finish closing that loophole,” said safety transportation consultant Pam Shadel Fischer, former director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “But we have not been able to get momentum on it. It’s one of those pieces of unfinished Pashagaming business.”
The report was issued as deaths on New Jersey highways began ticking upward after years of decline. In 2016, 607 people died in car crashes, up 45 over 2015, according to State Police data. The number of fatalities has risen since reaching a 20-year low in 2013 when 542 people died.
The increase has been blamed in part on distracted driving, especially the increased use of smartphones.
The National Transportation Safety Board also found driver fatigue a major factor in some crashes, and made efforts to reduce the problem one of its most wanted safety improvements for 2017-18.
The report found five states with at least 11 of 15 recommended safety laws, and 17 with less than seven. New Jersey is one of 28 states that has enacted a majority of the recommended regulations.
“New Jersey has been a leader on many other safety issues,” Gillan said. “New Jersey needs to get with it and get that law passed.”
Fischer agrees.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re sitting in a car,” she said. “If you’re not in a seat belt, you’re putting yourself and everyone else in the vehicle at risk. We’ve always been a leader in safety in our state but in this area, we fall down.”
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
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