Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, Jr.

BARNES BILL ALLOWING POLICE TO FAX, MAIL ACCIDENT REPORTS ADVANCES

(TRENTON) - An Assembly committee today released legislation Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, Jr., sponsored to require police departments to mail or fax accident reports to residents who request them.ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS
NEWS RELEASE

FOR RELEASE:
June 1, 2006

CONTACT:
Assemblyman Barnes
(732) 548-1406
James Sverapa IV
(609) 292-7065

BARNES BILL ALLOWING POLICE TO FAX, MAIL ACCIDENT REPORTS ADVANCES

(TRENTON) - An Assembly committee today released legislation Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, Jr., sponsored to require police departments to mail or fax accident reports to residents who request them.

"No one wants to be in an accident and, when one occurs, no one enjoys the hassle of going to a forlorn municipal complex to pick up an accident report," said Barnes (D-Middlesex), a former police commissioner. "Giving people the option to have an accident report faxed or mailed to them will help speed the resolution process and save the affected parties considerable time and effort."

Currently, many municipal police departments in New Jersey refuse to release accident reports unless they are picked up in-person.

Under the Barnes legislation (A-2729), police departments would be required to give individuals involved in accidents the option of receiving an accident report via fax or mail. The person requesting a report would have to fill out and send in a request form along with any applicable fees.

"In an age when videos, photos, and information can be sent over the airwaves to just about anywhere in the world, this kind of records access is long overdue," said Barnes. "It will give those involved in an accident one less thing to have to worry about. And, as anyone who has ever been involved in an accident can tell you, the quicker you can put it behind you, the better off you'll be."

The Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee released the measure 10 to 0. It now heads to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post the bill for a floor vote.

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