30 Hours of driver class now includes slow-vehicle rules

In New Jersey, learning to drive now comes with a more explicit lesson about slow-moving vehicles. Approved classroom driver education courses must teach students how to share the road with them safely, including a driver's responsibilities when approaching and passing one.

The same warning will also show up in the brochure parents and guardians get when a beginner receives a permit, so the message reaches both the classroom and the household.

What gets added to the lesson plan

The driver-education course still has to run at least 30 hours. But the curriculum guidelines now have to cover more than the usual basics. They already include defensive driving, highway courtesy, accident avoidance, respect for state motor vehicle laws, proper vehicle maintenance, carbon monoxide safety and insurance fraud.

The new piece slots into that list by making sure new drivers are taught how to operate in a way that safely shares the roadway with slow-moving vehicles. The point is simple: the first time a beginner comes up behind one, the rules should already be familiar.