Increased police patrols on Route 539 recently resulted in the issuance of almost 90 summonses from law enforcement agencies who are attempting to make the county road safer for motorists.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, 146 motor vehicle stops were conducted on Aug. 15, which was the first day of a month-long Safety Enforcement Initiative.
Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said the initiative was an important step in reducing the number of accidents that occur on Route 539.
“It’s about raising awareness … [The prosecutor] is rallying all the departments that have jurisdiction over that road,” Della Fave said.
Route 539 cuts through Ocean County from the southeast to the northwest and stretches for 38 miles through eight municipalities.
Della Fave said that from February 2013 to May 2015 there were about 14 fatal accidents on the highway.
In addition to the fatal accidents, more than 400 serious, non-fatal accidents occurred on Route 539 from January 2013 to May 2015, according to Della Fave. He said 145 of those 400 accidents occurred in Plumsted.
“We would be negligent if we did not try” to address the problem, he said. “We have to try something.”
Della Fave said the prosecutor’s office has teamed up with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, the New Jersey State Police and the police departments of Jackson, Plumsted, Barnegat, Lacey, Manchester, Stafford and Little Egg Harbor to increase patrols on Route 539.
Officers are specifically looking for aggressive and reckless drivers.
According to statistics provided by the prosecutor’s office, the state police had six troopers patrolling Route 539 on Aug. 15, resulting in 46 traffic stops.
During those stops, 10 summonses were issued for speeding, 12 summonses were issued for failure to wear a seatbelt, 10 summonses were issued for non-moving violations, 11 summonses were issued for other moving violations, three summonses were issued for outstanding warrants, two summonses were issued for possession of controlled dangerous substances, one summons was issued for driving while intoxicated and three summonses were issued for failed motor vehicle inspections.
In Plumsted, one officer on patrol on Route 539 made five traffic stops. The officer issued one summons for an equipment violation, one summons for a non-moving violation and two summonses for controlled dangerous substances.
As of Aug. 19, Jackson police had yet to provide statistics to the prosecutor’s office.
While motorists may have noticed an increased presence of marked police vehicles on Route 539, Della Fave said the law enforcement agencies have also committed a number of unmarked cars to travel on the road as spotters to help track down offenders.
“We know people are not going to drive irresponsibly or aggressively when they see visibly marked units. You have unsafe, sneaky drivers who think ‘there’s no coverage, now I can do what I like,’ ” he said. “There is strength in numbers.”
Della Fave said the increased patrols are one aspect of the prosecutor’s “Enforcement, Engineering and Education” approach to addressing the road’s safety issues.
The Ocean County Board of Freeholders has authorized a series of road improvements for Route 539.
Since alerting the public about the initiative on the prosecutor’s office Facebook page, Della Fave said the post has received more than 93,000 hits and has been shared 1,000 times. Typical posts get 5,000 hits, by comparison.
He said the public’s response is proof the issues regarding Route 539 are important.
“When you get that kind of response it is obvious this is a concern of folks in Ocean County and it needs to be addressed,” Della Fave said. “Folks are happy we are trying to address this road.”