Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato has announced a safety and enforcement initiative to address the rash of 11 fatal crashes and numerous serious accidents that occurred from 2013 to July 31, 2015, on Route 539. The 2016 initiative began on Aug. 12 and will run through Aug. 28, according to a press release.
“Last year’s initiative concluded with over 600 vehicle stops and zero fatalities for a 32-day effort. The great news is that we have continued to see zero fatalities to date. We want to not only celebrate that success, but use the detail to educate drivers of the wonderful end result of driving responsibly,” Coronato said.
Police in Jackson and Plumsted, among other agencies, are participating in the 2016 safety initiative, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Last year’s Route 539 detail raised awareness among the motoring public regarding the safety issues on the county highway and led to coordinated efforts by county law enforcement agencies and the county engineering and road departments to take steps toward making commuting on Route 539 safer, according to the press release.
The safety/enforcement initiative on Route 539 between Tuckerton and Plumsted encompasses seven municipal jurisdictions traversing 38 miles of road in Ocean County. The road passes through Tuckerton, Little Egg Harbor, Stafford, Barnegat, Lacey, Manchester, Plumsted and Jackson.
During the initiative, law enforcement personnel will be looking for moving violations and equipment violations that are major contributory causes to crashes, including improper passing, excessive speed, driving while under the influence, aggressive driving, improper turning, failure to yield and inattentive driving, and commercial carrier violations such as overweight vehicles, equipment maintenance and brake pressure, according to the press release.