EAST BRUNSWICK — Motorists may notice an increased effort this month to crack down on speeding on township roads.
Barry W. Roberson, East Brunswick’s director of public safety, announced last week that December is designated as a “Speed EnforcementMonth” in the township. The initiative, a cooperative effort by the police department and the office of Mayor David Stahl, is designed to address concerns voiced by township residents about speeding.
The campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of speeding will be carried out throughout the month. Spearheaded by members of the police department’s Traffic Safety Section, it will involve visible reminders such as digital message boards and speed trailers, and patrols dedicated to the enforcement of speeding violations.
According to a press release from the police department, the goals of the program will be to increase awareness of the potential consequences of operating a motor vehicle above the posted speed limit or at speeds that are unsafe for the roadway or weather conditions. Speeding can be a factor that leads to motor vehicle accidents resulting in injury, death and property damage. In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that there were a total of 590 trafficrelated fatalities in New Jersey. Of that total, 65 fatalities were attributed to speeding-related incidents.
The NHTSA has published a report on data collected to gain a national view of the impact of speeding for the year 2000. Speed-related crashes were directly responsible for 12,350 fatalities and 690,000 nonfatal injuries that year. In addition, the total cost of the speed-related accidents during 2000 was $40.4 billion.
Roberson requested that all motorists be mindful of the posted speed limits when traveling through the township. A major goal of the program is to impress upon drivers the importance of this issue so that they continue to operate their vehicles at safe speeds well beyond the stated time of the enforcement program.