39:3-72. Tire equipment. Metuchen, Edison, and Central Jersey Courts.

39:3-72.  Tire equipment
    
     No person shall drive or move any motor vehicle equipped with solid rubber tires unless every such tire shall have rubber on its entire traction surface at least one inch thick above the edge of the flange of the entire periphery. No person shall drive or move any motor vehicle or trailer upon the public highways, unless such motor vehicle or trailer is equipped with tires in safe operating condition in accordance with requirements approved by the director.

    The director shall promulgate rules of safe operating condition capable of being employed by a law enforcement officer for visual inspection of tires mounted on vehicles including visual comparison with simple measuring gauges. Said requirements shall encompass effects of tread wear and depth of tread.  A tire shall be considered unsafe if it has:  (1) any ply or cord exposed;  or (2) any bump, bulge or knot affecting tire structure;  or (3) any break repaired with boot or patch;  or (4) worn so that the tread wear indicators contact the road in any two adjacent major grooves at three locations spaced approximately equally around the outside of the tire. Nothing herein shall apply to farm vehicles registered under section 39:3-24 of this Title.

    Any law enforcement officer, at any time, upon reasonable cause to believe that a vehicle is unsafe or equipped with tires in violation of the provisions of this section or of the rules promulgated hereunder, may require the operator  of such vehicle to stop and submit such vehicle to an inspection. If the  inspection discloses the vehicle to be in violation, the officer may issue a  summons for such violation.

     Amended by L.1970, c. 129, s. 1, eff. July 8, 1970.

39:3-29 License, registration certificate and insurance identification card; possession; exhibit upon request; violations; fine; defense; certain fines to Omnibus Safety Enforcement Fund. Metuchen, Edison, and Central Jersey Courts.

39:3-29  License, registration certificate and insurance identification card; possession; exhibit upon request; violations; fine; defense; certain fines to Omnibus Safety Enforcement Fund.

39:3-29. The driver's license, the registration certificate of a motor vehicle and an insurance identification card shall be in the possession of the driver or operator at all times when he is in charge of a motor vehicle on the highways of this State.

The driver or operator shall exhibit his driver's license and an insurance identification card, and the holder of a registration certificate or the operator or driver of a motor vehicle for which a registration certificate has been issued, whether or not the holder, driver or operator is a resident of this State, shall also exhibit the registration certificate, when requested so to do by a police officer or judge, while in the performance of the duties of his office, and shall write his name in the presence of the officer, so that the officer may thereby determine the identity of the licensee and at the same time determine the correctness of the registration certificate, as it relates to the registration number and number plates of the motor vehicle for which it was issued; and the correctness of the evidence of a policy of insurance, as it relates to the coverage of the motor vehicle for which it was issued.

Any person violating this section shall be subject to a fine of $150, except that if the person is a driver or operator of an omnibus, as defined pursuant to R.S.39:1-1, the amount of the fine shall be $250.  Of the amount of any such fine collected pursuant to this paragraph, $25 shall be deposited in the Uninsured Motorist Prevention Fund established by section 2 of P.L.1983, c.141 (C.39:6B-3).

If a person charged with a violation of this section can exhibit his driver's license, insurance identification card and registration certificate, which were valid on the day he was charged, to the judge of the municipal court before whom he is summoned to answer to the charge, such judge may dismiss the charge.  However, the judge may impose court costs.

In addition to and independent of any fine or other penalty provided for under law, the court shall impose a fine of $150 on any driver or operator of an omnibus, convicted of a violation of this section, who does not have a certificate of public convenience and necessity as required pursuant to R.S.48:4-3.  The State Treasurer shall annually deposit the monies collected from the fines imposed pursuant to this paragraph to the "Omnibus Safety Enforcement Fund" established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.40 (C.39:3-79.23). The fine described herein shall not be deemed a fine, penalty, or forfeiture pursuant to R.S.39:5-41.

Amended 1972, c.200, s.1; 1981, c.242, s.1; 1983, c.403, s.10; 2003, c.89, s.78; 2007, c.40, s.2.