In 1949, the "Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act and Regulations" banned self service gas and is still in effect. It is said this law was enacted for the driver's own good stating " Because of the fire hazards directly associated with dispensing fuel, it is in the public interest that gasoline station operators have the control needed over that activity to ensure compliance with appropriate safety procedures, including turning off vehicle engines and refraining from smoking while fuel is dispensed." but it most likely wasn't passed for safety, but for money. In the 1940s most of the country had never heard of self service gas, but Irving Reginold, a gas station owner, said that he would offer lower prices to anyone willing to pump their own gas and this gimmick became very popular and became a threat to competing gas stations. Once more and more states began allowing self service gas, New Jersey stayed put.