Sticker initiative worth consideration
We support an idea put forth by Jackson Township Councilman Angelo Stallone that asks parents of new drivers to voluntarily place a sticker on their car that will clearly identify the driver as the holder of a provisional driver's license.

The past several months have produced a shocking and very disturbing number of motor vehicle accidents that have resulted in injury and death to young people in Jackson and in other municipalities throughout central New Jersey. One factor linking these accidents has been the inexperience of the drivers, primarily people in the 17-yearold to 18-year-old age group.

We agree with the idea that identifying a vehicle which may be operated by a new driver will alert police officers and the motoring public to the presence of an inexperienced driver on the roads.

Perhaps that sticker will also make the driver accept more responsibility and take more care for the safe operation of the vehicle he or she is driving.

This is not a scarlet letter situation; it is not a punishment. It is a first step - a necessary step - to regaining some control of our roads.

New Jersey's provisional driver's license program is presently under review by a state committee that is examining the entire issue of teenagers behind the wheel. That's fine, and we support the work of that panel; however, we do not know how long it will take for that group to produce recommendations or to have those recommendations approved and enacted by legislators.

Jackson officials should not be deterred by people who will say one town cannot make a difference in the entire state. Jackson officials are responsible for the health and safety of residents in their community and they appear to be doing something about it.

Parents of Jackson's new drivers should consider accepting the Township Council's offer of that identifying sticker. This is not the be-all and end-all solution to this matter, but if the sticker initiative allows a police officer to pull over just one new driver and warn that person about a potential problem before an accident occurs, that young adult's parents will be forever grateful that someone had the ability to identify a potential problem and to avert a possible tragedy.