Bill
S 4146
S-4146 expands driver education and manuals to teach motorists their responsibilities and penalties when sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, and other non‑motorized users.
Note on title: the bill number and documents provided are for S-4146 as amended by the Senate Transportation Committee. Although an initial header referenced nursing homes, the bill text, committee statement, and fiscal note all address driver education and driver’s manual content. This summary reflects the actual bill language and analysis related to driver education and roadway‑sharing safety.
Purpose
- To require that driver education materials, the written driving‑permit exam, and the driver’s manual include specific information about a motorist’s responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians, bicyclists, and persons using personal conveyances, and to add safety guidance for non‑motorized and micro‑mobility road users on how to share the roadway with motorists.
Key provisions
- Amends R.S.39:3‑10 to require that the written knowledge examination for a driving permit test applicants’ knowledge of operating a vehicle in a manner that safely shares the roadway with:
- pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, riders of motorized‑scooters, and other non‑motorized vehicles.
- This includes driver responsibilities when approaching and passing a pedestrian or person operating a bicycle or personal conveyance on the roadway (cross‑references P.L.2021, c.194 / C.39:4‑92.4) and the penalties for violations.
- Requires the informational brochure distributed to parents/guardians of new drivers, the curriculum for classroom driver education, and the written permit exam to include the above information.
- Requires the New Jersey Driver’s Manual to:
- Include information about the importance of safely sharing the roadway with non‑motorized and micro‑mobility users, including driver responsibilities and penalties for noncompliance.
- Include instructional safety information directed to pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, motorized‑scooter riders, and other non‑motorized road users about proper safety procedures when sharing the roadway with motorists.
- Retains related exam and administrative provisions (e.g., exam language accessibility, periodic language verification by the chief administrator).
Who is affected
- New and prospective drivers (exam content and education materials).
- Parents/guardians of new drivers (brochure recipients).
- Driver education providers and classroom curricula.
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) — responsible for updating materials, exams, and the manual.
- Pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, motorized‑scooter riders and other non‑motorized road users (intended beneficiaries of added safety guidance).
Fiscal and administrative impact
- Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates indeterminate annual and one‑time costs to the MVC.
- OLS examples: ~ $1,000 for graphic design and ~ $1,000 for a 10,000‑copy print run of a tri‑fold brochure; additional one‑time costs to update the driver’s manual, curricula, and computerized written‑exam systems are uncertain and may require third‑party contracts or programming changes.
Legislative status and timeline
- Introduced in Senate: February 25, 2025 (sponsored by Sen. Kevin S. Parker).
- Reported from Senate Transportation Committee with amendments: March 17, 2025.
- Substituted by A4765 (1R): June 30, 2025.
- Current status listed as REFERRED TO HEALTH in some records (likely clerical overlap); primary committee action reported by Transportation.
Related legislation
- Companion: A-4765.
- Prior‑session and related bills: S-1929, S-3086, S-1123, S-1623, S-2287, S-4428, S-4757, S-5747.
Bottom line
- S‑4146 expands driver education and official guidance to formalize teaching motorists about legal responsibilities and penalties when encountering pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non‑motorized or micro‑mobility users and adds safety instructions for those non‑motorized users—aiming to improve roadway sharing and safety, while producing modest, indeterminate administrative costs to the MVC.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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