Skip to main navigationSkip to News Headlines
Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
Back to News Releases
more news
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
spacer spacer spacer
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release:  
For Further Information:
spacer spacer spacer
August 1, 2007   

Maureen Sczpanski
609-633-9021

Office of The Attorney General
- Anne Milgram, Attorney General
Division of Highway Traffic Safety
-
Pam Fischer, Director

spacerspacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
New Public Awareness Program Unveiled to Further Educate Motorists about the Dangers of Speeding and Aggressive Driving
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacerspacer spacer spacer
"The highway isn't a racetrack." - Ray Evernham, NJ Native & founder of Evernham Motorsports
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacerspacer spacer spacer

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.

# # #

spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
 
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Division of NJ State Police NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News

free PDF plugin

NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News