Pam Fischer, director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety (DHTS), does not want to hear another tragic story like that of Kyleigh D’Alessio.

Kyleigh was just 16 years old when she was killed in a motor vehicle accident in December 2006 in Washington Township, Morris County. She was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by a 17-year-old probationary driver. The vehicle crashed into a utility pole, killing the driver and Kyleigh. Two other passengers in the vehicle were injured but survived.

“All we ask teens is to get through 18 months [on a permit and probationary license] and then they can live the full life that is ahead of them,” Fischer told a crowd of teen drivers at John P. Stevens High School in Edison on March 24, when she explained the terms of a new law that places further restrictions on new drivers. The law is named in memory of Kyleigh.

“The No. 1 killer of young people between 16 and 20 years old is related to motor vehicle crashes, and our goal for this law is to improve safety and reduce these crashes,” Fischer told the teenagers. “Your job is to outlive your parents or guardians.”

The specifics of Kyleigh’s Law were announced in Freehold, Monmouth County, on March 24. Kyleigh’s mother and brother, Donna and Tyler Weeks, joined Fischer, Attorney General Paula T. Dow and New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) acting Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez for that press conference.

The law is a first-in-the-nation initiative designed to help prevent senseless teen-driver deaths and injuries. It mandates that teens with a permit or probationary (provisional) license display a red, reflecting decal on the top left corner of the front and rear license plates of any vehicle they operate. The decal has a Velcro backing and can be removed.

“Police officers suggested and requested these decals to us,” said Fischer. “They needed a way to identify a vehicle and have probable cause to stop the vehicle, because right now it is very difficult for them to enforce the current restrictions on a graduated driver’s license (GDL). If a police officer would look into a motor vehicle and say, ‘I believe that person is under 21 years old,’ that would be profiling, which is not allowed.”

Fischer, who led the Teen Driver Study Commission that advocated the use of decals for new drivers, said the U.S. is “lagging behind” other countries in implementing these laws.

“Countries such as England and Australia have these laws. … You can even buy the tags at a 7-Eleven in England,” she said.

The decals will be available at state motor vehicle agencies April 12 at a cost of $4 for two. The MVC anticipates that approximately 500,000 pairs of decals will be sold during the first year the law is in place.

The current law for a GDL driver prohibits driving between midnight and 5 a.m., and having more than one friend (nonfamily member) and one family member in the car. GDL drivers cannot use cell phones (hand-held or hands-free), iPods or any other electronic devices, and they must ensure that they and all of their passengers wear seat belts. They are not permitted to plea-bargain any point-carrying offenses.

Under Kyleigh’s Law, GDL drivers cannot drive between 11:01 p.m. and 5 a.m., they may have only one passenger in the vehicle, and all GDL holders under the age of 21 will be required to display the decal on their vehicles. A person who fails to display the decal will be fined $100.

If a person under 21 years old with a GDL has a job requiring driving during the curfew, he or she must provide a letter from the employer.

“However, they must go straight home after work,” said Fischer.

According to the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, a teen crashes every 10 minutes in New Jersey. In 2008, there were 56,962 crashes involving teen drivers between 16 and 20 years of age. Nationally, 6,000 teens are killed and approximately 300,000 are injured in crashes each year. Forty percent of fatal crashes occurred after 9 p.m.

“For the first time this year in New Jersey, these statistics fell below 50 percent; however, still 44 teens died,” Fischer said. “The most dangerous time on the road for teen drivers in New Jersey is between 3 and 6 p.m., followed by noon and 3 p.m.”

Fischer added that May, June and December are when most crashes occur among teen drivers.

“The No. 1 reason for these crashes is distraction, followed by overconfidence with speeding and tailgating, and then inexperience on the road,” she said.

Fischer said parents have the right to call MVC to find out the record of their teen driver.

“You can find out any accidents your teen may have been involved in and any municipal offenses,” she said.