A2753

An Act concerning highway safety and farm equipment, supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes, and amending P.L.1998, c.108.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) a. As used in this section:

“Department” means the Department of Agriculture.

“Farm equipment” means:

(1) a farm tractor or traction equipment used for farm operation that is registered to travel upon public highways pursuant to R.S.39:3-24;

(2) a motor vehicle, not for hire, used exclusively as farm machinery or a farm implement; or

(3) any farm tractor, traction equipment, farm machinery or farm implement drawn by a motor vehicle.

“Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.

b. The department shall, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, create and publish on the department’s Internet website and any official department social media accounts, and update as appropriate, informational materials about motorists approaching farm equipment on public highways. Such informational materials shall include, but not be limited to, a video created by the department informing motorists of the risks of attempting to pass farm equipment on public highways.

c. The department shall place additional emphasis on highway safety involving farm equipment, including the materials created and published pursuant to subsection b. of this section, during the third week of September of each year, recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week.

d. Within 18 months after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, shall issue a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall include, at a minimum:

(1) an assessment of the safety risks of motorists attempting to pass farm equipment on public highways;

(2) a list of potential remedies for the State to pursue to mitigate or eliminate the safety risks identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, including but not limited to the posting of signage on public highways where farm equipment is likely to travel and increasing penalties for motorists who violate the State’s motor vehicle laws when passing farm equipment; and

(3) an estimate of the funding required to implement the remedies identified pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection.

2. Section 8 of P.L.1998, c.108 (C.27:5F-41) is amended to read as follows:

8. a. The Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, after consultation with the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, shall develop curriculum guidelines for use by teachers of approved classroom driver education courses. The course of instruction for approved courses shall be no less than 30 hours in length and be designed to develop and instill the knowledge and attitudes necessary for the safe operation and driving of motor vehicles. Defensive driving; highway courtesy; dangers of driving a vehicle in an aggressive manner, which shall include, but not be limited to, unexpectedly altering the speed of a vehicle, making improper or erratic traffic lane changes, disregarding traffic control devices, failing to yield the right of way, and following another vehicle too closely; accident avoidance; understanding and respect for the State's motor vehicle laws; techniques for the safe operation and proper maintenance of a vehicle, which shall include, but not be limited to, safety tips to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicles; insurance fraud; operating a motor vehicle in a manner that safely shares the roadway with pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, farm equipment as that term is defined in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), riders of motorized-scooters, and other non-motorized vehicles, which shall include, but not be limited to, passing a cyclist on the roadway, recognizing bicycle lanes, navigating intersections with pedestrians and cyclists, and exiting a vehicle without endangering pedestrians and cyclists; and State requirements for and benefits of maintaining automobile insurance shall be emphasized. The incorporation of these curriculum guidelines in these classroom courses and the use of related instructional materials shall be a requirement for approval of the course by the chief administrator.

b. The Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, in consultation with the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, shall produce an informational brochure for parents and guardians of beginning drivers under the age of 18 years. The commission shall ensure that the parents or guardians of a permit holder receive these brochures at the time a permit is issued to a beginning driver. The brochures shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(1) Setting an example for the beginning driver;

(2) Accident and fatality statistics about beginning drivers;

(3) Causes of accidents among beginning drivers;

(4) The need to supervise vehicle operation by a beginning driver;

(5) Methods to coach a beginning driver on how to reduce accidents;

(6) A description of the graduated driver's license program;

(7) Benefits of classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education under the direction of State certified or licensed driving instructors, as the case may be;

(8) The dangers of driving a vehicle in an aggressive manner, which shall include, but not be limited to, unexpectedly altering the speed of a vehicle, making improper or erratic traffic lane changes, disregarding traffic control devices, failing to yield the right of way, and following another vehicle too closely;

(9) The dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicles and techniques for the safe operation and proper maintenance of a vehicle, which shall include, but not be limited to, safety tips to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicles;

(10) Maintaining an awareness of operating a motor vehicle in a manner that safely shares the roadway with pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, farm equipment as that term is defined in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), riders of motorized-scooters, and other non-motorized vehicles, which shall include, but not be limited to, passing a cyclist on the roadway, recognizing bicycle lanes, navigating intersections with pedestrians and cyclists, and exiting a vehicle without endangering pedestrians and cyclists; and

(11) A sample practice driving log.

(cf: P.L.2023, c.216, s.3)

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (department), in consultation with the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety (director) and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (chief administrator), to create, publish, and update on the department’s Internet website and any official department social media accounts informational materials about motorists approaching farm equipment on public highways. The informational materials are to include, but are not to be limited to, a video informing motorists of the risks of attempting to pass farm equipment on public highways. The department is also required to place additional emphasis on highway safety involving farm equipment during National Farm Safety and Health Week, which is the third week of September of each year.

This bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the director and the chief administrator, to issue a report to the Governor and to the Legislature that includes, at a minimum: an assessment of the safety risks of motorists attempting to pass farm equipment on public highways; a list of potential remedies for the State to pursue to mitigate or eliminate the safety risks identified; and an estimate of the funding required to implement the remedies identified.

Lastly, this bill amends current law to include safely sharing the roadway with farm equipment in curriculum guidelines for classroom driver education courses and informational brochures provided to the parents and guardians of beginning drivers under the age of 18.