Cranbury,
N.J. –State officials today announced
this year’s holiday traffic safety
program to target aggressive and impaired
drivers. Initiatives include NJDOT
funding for the State
Police aggressive driving patrols,
technology-based crash intervention
and a federal grant to municipal departments
for DWI enforcement. There was an emphasis
on redeploying unmarked patrol cars
to combat aggressive driving behaviors
and representatives of the media were
given rides in these vehicles to observe
driving conditions from the perspective
of the trooper.
Through
a $2.4 million NJDOT grant, the State
Police will be able to substantially
strengthen their aggressive driver program.
Fourteen existing vehicles will be retrofitted
with upgraded emergency lighting for
use as unmarked troop cars. With the
exception of toll roads, the State Police
have not deployed unmarked cars on patrol
for several years. In addition, the
funds will used to put more troopers
on patrol in areas plagued with high
numbers of accidents.
“With
the beginning of the holiday season
and its focus on friends and family,
we are urging all motorists to drive
safely,” said Acting Governor
Richard J. Codey. “Those who don’t
get the message will face the consequences
of increased traffic enforcement from
State Police and our local law enforcement
partners, who will be taking a hard
line against aggressive and drug- or
alcohol-impaired drivers.”
Based
on maps overlaid with computerized accident
data, documented locations for speed
violators, and aggressive driver calls,
State Police have targeted specific
locations on major roadways throughout
the state for these extra patrols. Troopers
will target critical areas of Rt. 78,
Rt. 287, Rt. 80, Rt. 195, Rt. 295 and
Rt. 55.
“Technology
has shown us where accidents most often
occur,” said Attorney General
Harvey at a press conference at the
State Police Troop D Headquarters on
the New Jersey Turnpike. “We are
now placing extra troopers where they
will have the greatest impact on bad
driving behaviors, thereby preventing
accidents and saving lives during this
holiday season.”
“The
objective for our aggressive driver
patrols is not to give tickets,”
said Lt. Colonel Juan Mattos, Deputy
Superintendent of Operations. “We
know through research and by our own
experience that the mere sight of an
unmarked troop car pulling over a motorist
will curb aggressive driving behavior
for miles. Our objective is to reduce
accidents, injuries and deaths through
smart enforcement.”
The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
estimates that about one-third of traffic
crashes and about two-thirds of the
resulting fatalities can be attributed
to driving behavior commonly associated
with aggressive driving. These include
improper lane change, improper passing,
following too closely and speeding.
Thanksgiving
is traditionally the heaviest travel
holiday with millions of extra motorists
taking to the highways. The New Jersey
Turnpike is estimating almost four million
vehicles to travel the road over the
six-day Thanksgiving period from Wednesday,
November 24 through Monday, November
29. During that same period, the Garden
State Parkway estimates that more than
6.6 million drivers will travel their
road. Wednesday will be the most heavily
traveled day, with the highest volume
between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Statewide
accident data shows that 592 people
have died in crashes so far this year.
While this number represents a tragic
loss, it is 9.3% lower than 2003 fatalities
for the same period, and 2003 was about
10% below 2002 numbers.
In
addition, Attorney General Harvey announced
that the State was also cracking down
on impaired drivers. Through a grant
from the Division
of Highway Traffic Safety, police
agencies in Bergen, Essex and Middlesex
counties were participating in an impaired
driving enforcement program. According
to data from 2001-2003, alcohol was
a factor in 37 percent of motor vehicle
fatalities in the state. An average
of 280 motorists are killed each year
in New Jersey alcohol-related crashes.
Ten police departments in each county
have been awarded money for impaired
driver checkpoints and roving patrols
through January 2, 2005. Bergen, Essex
and Middlesex ranked the highest for
alcohol-related fatalities.
The
You Drink and Drive, You Lose 2004 Holiday
Enforcement Campaign is the latest salvo
in the state’s ongoing effort
to rid New Jersey’s roadways of
drug and alcohol impaired drivers. “Motorists
who choose to get behind the wheel after
using alcohol or illegal drugs are a
tremendous scourge on our highways,”
said Roberto Rodriguez, Director of
the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
“The law enforcement community
of the state is committed to arresting
impaired drivers and ensuring that the
holiday season remains a time of joy
rather than a time of sorrow.”
Police
will also be ticketing drivers and passengers
for seat belt violations. New Jersey’s
“primary violation” seat
belt law allows officers to stop drivers
who are not wearing their seat belts
without any other violation. Statistics
have repeatedly proven the effectiveness
of the simple safety harness. Although
the state’s compliance rate is
approximately 82 percent, the remaining
18 percent of motorists who don’t
wear seat belts account for almost two-thirds
of highway crash deaths. Many of these
fatalities are due to people being ejected
from vehicles as they overturn. The
vast majority of these overturned vehicles
retain plenty of “room to live”
within the passenger compartment. The
law requires all front seat occupants
and all children up to 18 years in the
rear seats to be buckled up. Children
up through eight years old and up to
80 pounds must be properly secured in
a child safety seat.
Colonel
Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the
New Jersey State Police advises all
people traveling during this holiday
season to follow some common sense guidelines
to help make their trips safe.
- Leave
a little early to avoid frustrations
if you hit traffic delays
- Get
enough rest before you drive. Pull
into a rest area to nap if you need
to
- Check
your vehicle’s tires, lamps
and wipers to ensure they are serviceable
- Make
sure you have the basic safety items
such as a jack and a good spare tire,
flashlight and reflectors
- Leave
a safe distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you
- Obey
all traffic laws
The
following towns received grants for
DWI enforcement:
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