The bill establishes a weigh-in-motion monitoring program in New Jersey, to be implemented by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in collaboration with the Department of Law and Public Safety (DLPS). This program will involve the installation of weigh-in-motion systems at selected bridge entrances to monitor vehicle weights, particularly for bridges in poor condition. The DOT, in consultation with the DLPS, will determine the locations for these systems based on bridge conditions and violation frequencies. The systems will automatically collect data on vehicle weights and violations, and will include cameras and scales that comply with state and federal regulations. Funding for the program will be sourced from the Transportation Trust Fund Account.

Additionally, the bill expands law enforcement authority regarding vehicle weight enforcement, allowing officers to require drivers to stop for weighing and establishing penalties for weight violations. It includes provisions for redistributing weight to avoid penalties and defines terms related to enforcement actions. Importantly, the bill ensures that individual vehicle and personal information collected by the monitoring systems cannot be retained or disclosed for unrelated purposes and will not be considered public records. The DOT and DLPS are responsible for developing regulations for the program, and during the initial 90 days, any detected violations will result in warnings rather than penalties. Annual reports detailing the program's operations and financial aspects will also be required from both departments.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 39:3-84.3