Other Traffic Issues
	If you're moving here, plan to pay a lot for auto insurance. New Jersey's rates are the highest in the nation, on average. Also, expect auto insurance to be much more difficult to get here. I called a number of agencies, and only a few bothered to call me back. Everyone I spoke to told me I could expect to know whether my application was approved within about 10 days. My advice is to get started on this early. If you have Jersey license plates, you have to have an auto safety inspection; if you don't have Jersey-based insurance, you'll fail the inspection. I found out the hard way; I thought I'd keep my cheap North Dakota insurance for six months and save a few hundred dollars. It didn't really work that way, though. When you get your Jersey license plates from the Division of Motor Vehicles, you'll be given the paperwork for your safety inspection. You can get an inspection free at state facilities; New Jersey is transitioning from annual inspections to every-other-year inspections which promise to be more stringent than those in the past. You may find that the nearest state facility isn't close to where you live or work, though. If you want to pay a little bit for the service, you can have the inspection done at an approved service station or auto repair shop. Places offering this service usually have signs to alert you. I suspect they'll also fix that burned-out turning light for you so you can pass the inspection and be on your way. That's what I did this year, and the inspection cost me $10. (The brake repairs, on the other hand, were something like $600.) Here are a few pointers for having a successful vehicle inspection, courtesy of the DMV: Have your car inspected on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in the middle of the month. (Lines are shortest then.) Bring your valid driver's license, your current vehicle registration card and a current New Jersey insurance identification card. Be sure the following items are functioning properly, since they'll be tested -- your horn, wipers, lights, direction signals, mirrors, exhaust system and tires. Police benevolent associations (PBAs) are active in New Jersey, and they actively solicit your donations. In return you'll receive a sticker for your rear window and perhaps a card. I've been told the cards can be used a sort of "get-out-of-jail-free" card -- if you're stopped for speeding or some other relatively minor infraction, the officer may take your PBA card in lieu of issuing a ticket. (This isn't official; police officials have indicated the practice isn't sanctioned, so it's up to the officer to decide whether you get the ticket or give up the card.) Personally, I don't think much of this practice. Either you've broken the law or you haven't. On the other hand, traffic tickets are so expensive here that it's easy to understand the appeal. Also note that there have been scams in which con artists have created fake PBAs for the purpose of fleecing well-meaning (or speed-happy) citizens. One local police department recently recommended not making a donation to anyone soliciting for a PBA over the phone. Apparently legitimate organizations make their pitches through the mail. Some towns don't allow parking on the street overnight. You'll generally see signs if this is the case. If you get a parking ticket, pay it. If you don't, your driver's license may be suspended and you may not be notified. It's just about the stupidest thing I've ever heard of, but I suppose it's effective. Expect highway construction year-round. A lot of construction is done at night, which can cause significant delays. Rte. 287 was especially bad for this over the past year. New Jersey law requires that your headlights be on if you've turned your windshield wipers on. (When you enter the state, the signs don't say, "Welcome to New Jersey"; they say something like, "Entering New Jersey -- Wipers On, Lights On. It's The Law." That strikes me as very, very Jersey.) Drivers here are quick to turn their lights on in bad weather of any sort, and I think it's really smart. Roads seem to flood rather quickly here. Use caution if there's a lot of water standing on the road; low spots are likely to be flooded. Drivers here use their high beams at night a lot more than you'd think, considering that traffic usually is continuous, and they don't seem to dim their lights as quickly as you'd hope. If you have poor night vision and this sort of thing bothers you, you may want to avoid rural roads, especially, after dark. (As much as you can, anyhow.) The major radio stations all carry rush-hour traffic reports. New Jersey 101.5 has rather insipid programming, but they offer statewide traffic reports every 15 minutes. You can listen to 101.5 if you've installed the RealPlayer plug-in on your computer. WDHA, 105.5 FM, is based in Dover, N.J., and it provides the most thorough coverage of North and Central Jersey traffic that I'm aware of. WDHA's format focuses on hard-edged rock. I also like Pete Torriello's morning traffic reports on Z100, 100.3 FM, but the rest of the morning show can be a bit much for me; you won't hear much music, but it'll be Top 40 and dance. If you want to go over the top, catch the traffic on KTU, "The Beat of New York," 103.3 FM -- KTU focuses on dance music. Or check out KISS-FM, 98.7 FM -- Isaac Hayes DJs. You won't get much Jersey traffic info, but I think it's the coolest morning show in New York; it's certainly the coolest one I can get on the little radio next to my bathroom sink! KISS plays old soul and contemporary R&B. I don't hear the term "Interstate" used here. In the Midwest, we'd talk about "I-94" and "I-35W." Here it's "Route 80" and "Route 287." (That's pronounced r-ooh-t, not r-ow-t.) All numbered highways seem to be referred to as routes; though they're also referred to simply by number ("Take 287 to Mahwah"), like we do in the Midwest. Here are some abbreviations you may hear in traffic reports or in conversations: GWB George Washington Bridge LIE Long Island Expressway BQE Brooklyn-Queens Expressway The Hutch Hutchinson Parkway (in Westchester County)
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	Oh, I suppose this material is ©1997, 1998, 1999 Shewi. Most recently updated: 3 January 1999.