Bill Text: NJ S389 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Increases motor vehicle property damage reporting threshold to over $1,000.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S389 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S389-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Increases motor vehicle property damage reporting threshold to over $1000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the reporting of certain motor vehicle accidents to the police and amending R.S.39:4-130.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.39:4-130 is amended to read as follows:
39:4-130. The driver of a vehicle or street car involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or damage to property of any one person in excess of [$500.00] $1,000 shall by the quickest means of communication give notice of such accident to the local police department or to the nearest office of the county police of the county or of the State Police, and in addition shall within 10 days after such accident forward a written report of such accident to the [division] commission on forms furnished by it. Such written reports shall contain sufficiently detailed information with reference to a motor vehicle accident, including the cause, the conditions then existing, the persons and vehicles involved and such information as may be necessary to enable the [director] chief administrator to determine whether the requirements for the deposit of security required by law are inapplicable by reason of the existence of insurance or other circumstances. The [director] chief administrator may rely upon the accuracy of the information contained in any such report, unless he has reason to believe that the report is erroneous. The [division] commission may require operators involved in accidents to file supplemental reports of accidents upon forms furnished by it when in the opinion of the [division] commission, the original report is insufficient. The reports shall be without prejudice, shall be for the information of the [division] commission, and shall not be open to public inspection. The fact that the reports have been so made shall be admissible in evidence solely to prove a compliance with this section, but no report or any part thereof or statement contained therein shall be admissible in evidence for any other purpose in any proceeding or action arising out of the accident.
Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving immediate notice or making a written report of an accident as required in this section and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of giving notice or making a report, such occupant shall make or cause to be made said notice or report not made by the driver.
Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a written report of an accident as required by this section and such driver is not the owner of the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle involved in such accident shall make such report not made by the driver.
A written report of an accident shall not be required by this section if a law enforcement officer submits a written report of the accident to the [division] commission pursuant to R.S.39:4-131.
Any person who knowingly violates this section shall be fined not less than $30 or more than $100.
The [director] chief administrator may revoke or suspend the operator's license privilege and registration privilege of a person who violates this section.
For purposes of this section, it shall not be a defense that the operator of the motor vehicle was unaware of the existence or extent of personal injury or property damage caused by the accident as long as the operator was aware that he was involved in an accident.
(cf: P.L.1994, c.183, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill increases the property damage reporting threshold for a motor vehicle accident from over $500 to over $1000. This reflects inflationary increases in repair costs.
Current law requires driver involved in accidents in which there is injury, death or damage to property of any one person of more than $500 to immediately notify the police. The driver also must send a written report to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days if no police report is filed. A violation results in a fine of $30 to $100 and may include the suspension of both license and registration privileges.
