Trenton
-- Law enforcement officers throughout New
Jersey will be cracking down on aggressive
driving this summer, as part of the first
statewide "Obey the Signs or Pay the
Fines" initiative, Division of Highway
Traffic Safety Director Pam Fischer announced
today.
Beginning
July 1 and running through July 31, 75 law
enforcement agencies will participate in this
initiative designed to help motorists remain
safe on New Jersey roads during the busy summer
travel season. Grants of $4,000 each will
be awarded by the Division to local police
departments to deter aggressive driving behaviors,
including speeding, tailgating, running red
lights or stop signs, improper passing and
unsafe lane changes. Additional county and
municipal police departments are expected
to participate in the initiative using their
own resources.
Originally
developed in response to the pervasive speeding
problem on New Jersey roadways, the program
began in 2006 in four northern counties and
was later expanded to seven counties. Last
year in New Jersey, there were 22,118 crashes
related to unsafe speed. This is the first
year the program will be conducted statewide
and expanded to include not only excessive
speed, but all aggressive driving behaviors.
According to a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic
Safety Report, speeding is a contributing
factor in nearly one out of three fatal crashes
across the nation, while 56 percent of these
crashes involve one or more aggressive driving
behaviors. In addition, an annual survey conducted
for the Division by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s
PublicMind Poll, indicated that 32 percent
of those drivers surveyed viewed aggressive
driving as the biggest threat to their safety
on the roads.
“Clearly,
it’s time for all motorists to do a
personal “reality check” of their
own driving behaviors,” Director Fischer
said. “We must stop blaming each other
for our bad driving practices and take personal
responsibility for our behaviors behind the
wheel. Impatience, hurrying, distractions,
traffic congestion and stress can all lead
to unsafe driving. While many motorists believe
they have excellent driving skills, they simply
don’t realize that these additional
factors contribute to creating a potentially
hazardous environment on the roads.”
A 38-question quiz designed to help motorists
recognize their own aggressive driving behaviors
is available on the Division’s web site
at www.njsaferoads.com . Questions on the
quiz include: “Do you maintain appropriate
distance when following other vehicles, bicyclists,
motorcyclists; provide appropriate distance
when cutting in after passing vehicles; yield
to pedestrians; maintain speeds appropriate
for conditions; yield and/or move to the right
for emergency vehicles; avoid challenging
other drivers; and, refrain from flashing
your headlights to signal a desire to pass.”
A
list of towns receiving grants to participate
in this initiative can be found on the Division’s
web site, at www.nj.gov/oag/hts/grants/grantees.html
.
#
# # |
