Atlantic
City – State Highway Traffic Safety
officials today unveiled a new public awareness
and education program designed to educate
motorists traveling on New Jersey’s
toll roads about the potentially fatal consequences
of excessive speed and aggressive driving.
According to Attorney General Anne Milgram,
the new campaign is built on a unique, first-ever
partnership between government, the gaming
industry, law enforcement and Evernham Motorsports.
“This
comprehensive, multi-agency approach will
further help the public understand the critical
importance of obeying speed limits and all
traffic laws,” Attorney General Milgram
said. “Speed is a factor in 30 percent
of all fatal crashes. That makes it imperative
that we use both enforcement and education
tools to convince drivers to slow down and
stay safe.”
“By
working with the casino industry, and gaining
the support of Ray Evernham, a New Jersey
native and the founder of Evernham Motorsports,
we are able to further heighten our message
that the highway is not a racetrack,”
said Division of Highway Traffic Safety
Director Pam Fischer. “Speed reduces
a driver’s ability to steer safely
around curves or objects in the roadway,
and extends the distance needed to safely
stop a vehicle. Added to that is the disturbing
fact that more than half of all speeding
drivers aren’t buckled up. Motorists
must slow down, buckle up and understand
that any aggressive behavior behind the
wheel simply will not be tolerated on New
Jersey’s roadways.”
Fischer was joined by State Police Lt. Colonel
Juan Mattos, representatives from the State
Department of Transportation, the New Jersey
Turnpike Authority, the South Jersey Transportation
Authority, and the Casino Association of
New Jersey.
“Enforcement
alone will not reduce fatalities or solve
the problems of speeding and aggressive
driving,” said State Police Lt. Colonel
Juan Mattos. “We are teaming with
our partner agencies to combine enforcement,
engineering, technology, and education.
It is through these combined efforts that
we will make our roads safer.”
The new public awareness effort, which is
one component of a new comprehensive safety
plan known as the Serious and Fatal Accident
Reduction Initiative (S.A.F.A.R.I) and is
currently being implemented by State Police
and highway traffic safety officials, will
include posters, palm cards, and large stand-up
displays featuring Ray Evernham’s
image and the message “The Highway
is not a Racetrack.” These collateral
materials will be displayed prominently
in casinos, and at toll plazas and service
areas, which are run by Host Marriott, on
the Parkway, Turnpike and the Atlantic City
Expressway. The Atlantic City Convention
and Visitors Center, and its partners, will
also display and distribute the materials
to the public.
In addition, a 30-second radio public service
announcement featuring Evernham will be
distributed to all radio stations in New
Jersey, and available on the Division of
Highway Traffic Safety’s Web site
at www.NJSafeRoads.com.
According to the Atlantic City Convention
and Visitors Authority, Atlantic City is
the fourth most visited destination in the
United States, with approximately 35 million
visitors last year. The majority of these
visitors arrived by automobile. Additionally,
approximately 47,000 individuals are employed
by the casino industry.
“The
casino industry commends the State Police,
the New Jersey Department of Transportation,
the toll roads, and the Division of Highway
Traffic Safety, for working collaboratively
to highlight the importance of driving safely,”
said Joseph Corbo, of the Casino Association
of New Jersey. “Our 11 casinos enthusiastically
support and will participate in this awareness
campaign as we recognize the overwhelming
number of our customers and employees drive
to and from our casinos. We are concerned
for their safety.”
Fischer noted that efforts such as these
are critical in keeping all individuals
safe and free from harm while traveling
on our roadways, and in particular those
roads that experience high volumes of traffic,
such as those into and out of Atlantic City.
“We know that from January to June
2007, State Police have issued 31,568 summonses
on the Garden State Parkway, 10,244 for
speeding, 397 for driving under the influence,
and 3,388 to individuals not buckling up,”
she said. “In addition, from January
1 to July 23, 2007, there were a total of
49 fatal crashes on the roadways leading
into Atlantic City. Those numbers clearly
tell us that we must further educate all
New Jerseyans about the often grave consequences
of breaking the law while behind the wheel.”
State Police also noted that under the S.A.F.A.R.I.
plan, troopers are enhancing their efforts
to target motorists who operate their vehicle
in an unsafe manner. The “#77"
phone number, used by motorists who wish
to report anyone driving erratically, will
be posted on portable message boards at
locations up and down the Garden State Parkway.
The message boards will also be placed on
portions of the parkway identified as “high
accident areas,” alerting motorists
to slow down and proceed through these areas
with extra caution.
Additional information on the new public
awareness effort, as well as general highway
safety information, is available on the
Division of Highway Traffic Safety’s
Web site, www.NJSafeRoads.com.
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