FREEHOLD
-- Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director
Pam Fischer, joined by officers from the
Freehold Township, Manalapan and Marlboro
Police Departments, today unveiled a new
law enforcement and public awareness initiative
designed to deter motorists from running
red lights.
"Red-light
running, like speeding, tailgating and not
stopping or slowing at stop-controlled intersections,
is an aggressive driving behavior that is
truly a national safety problem," Fischer
said. "Every year, more than 200,000
crashes, resulting in nearly 1,000 fatalities
and 180,000 injuries, occur across the country
as a result of drivers who ran through a
red light. The injury rate for red-light
crashes is nearly 47 percent higher then
for other crash types."
Under
the new program, the police departments
will set up weekly surveillance sites at
undisclosed intersections on major roadways
in their municipalities. Officers will be
located in every direction at each intersection
and, for a set period of time, issue summonses
to motorists who ignore red lights.
New
Jersey law requires motorists to stop for
a yellow light, unless it is too dangerous
to stop safely. A motorist convicted of
running a red light is assessed two points
on his/her drivers’ license and an
$85 fine.
"This
is an excellent opportunity for law enforcement
to educate motorists regarding the consequences
of not stopping for red lights," Freehold
Township Police Chief Ernest Schriefer stated.
"Our agency reported over 2,400 motor
vehicle crashes last year with over 12 percent
occurring at intersections. This multi-jurisdictional
program will promote stopping safely for
red lights. Motorists that fail to stop
for a red light will be stopped by our police
officers and issued violations."
According
to Fischer, while a red-light runner can
be any age, typically drivers involved in
such crashes are under 30 years of age,
have a record of moving violations, are
driving alone, without a valid license,
and are rushing to work or school in the
morning weekday hours. Often red-light crashes
involve alcohol, as well, she noted.
A
cooperative partnership between the law
enforcement agencies, the Freehold Raceway
Mall and CBS Outdoor Mall Division, the
new effort also includes signage located
at five locations throughout the mall alerting
shoppers to the crackdown. Four signs are
located at major exit points inside the
mall, while one sign has been placed directly
outside the mall=s main entrance. The signs,
which state "Stop for the Red, or Stop
for Us" and feature uniformed police
officers from all three municipalities,
were also designed to raise awareness about
the importance of safe driving as motorists
leave the mall enroute to busy area roadways.
In
addition, a brochure explaining the initiative,
including the potential physical and monetary
consequences that can result from running
a red light, was mailed to the parents of
all Freehold Regional School District high
school students, by the Freehold Township
Police Department.
Fischer
noted that it is critical to include teen
drivers in efforts such as this, to ensure
that they not only learn the importance
of traffic safety laws, but the dangerous
and sometimes deadly consequences associated
with violating them.
"Automobile crashes are the leading
cause of death for teenagers," Fischer
said. "Parents who received this brochure
are encouraged to use it to talk with their
teens about how they can stay safe behind
the wheel."
Each
of the three participating police departments
received a $17,000 grant from the New Jersey
Division of Highway Traffic Safety to implement
the initiative, which will run through 2008.
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