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75 Martine Avenue, Fanwood, NJ 07023 - 908/322-7773 FAX - 908-322-2200 or 908-889-6359 Safety Wings | Tony Parenti , Editor MEETING NOTICES: Board Of Directors: The Board met March 23. The next meeting is at the call of the President. Next Regular Business Meeting: WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2005, 10:00 AM at the SOMERVILLE ELKS CLUB, ROUTE 28 (Union Avenue), BRIDGEWATER, NJ. NJ Division of Weights and Measures will test Radar Tuning Forks for departments N through Z at this meeting. Please keep tuning forks together by rubber band or in a large envelope. Also bring a blank department letterhead, a self addressed envelope, and purchase order or voucher. The cost is $5.00 per fork and payable to NJ Division of Weights and Measures. If we must cancel the meeting, testing will be at the following meeting (May 4). Watch our newsletter and website for details.  CRASHES & DEATHS: NHTSA reports that 43,005 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2002 and motor vehicle traffic crashes were the 8th-leading cause of death among all ages. But broken down by age, crashes were the number one cause of death for every age from 3 through 33. TOP DWI GUY ARRESTED AGAIN: Rapid City SD: Jerry R. Zeller, 64, was arrested multiple times for drunk driving and was recently arrested again. He's had so many arrests that law enforcement officials aren't sure of the total but they indicate roughly 33 prior arrests for DWI. Zeller's latest arrest was his second in five months and his BAC was 0.286 percent. The South Dakota limit is 0.08 percent. Even though he has a prior drunk driving charge pending and twice failed to show up for court on that charge, Zeller was released from the county jail after posting a $2,800 bond. Now, police want the state's attorney to charge Zeller's 84-year-old mother with allowing an unauthorized person to drive a vehicle registered in her name. Zeller's driver's license had been revoked for life. 
LEGISLATIVE STUFF: P.L. 2005, CHAPTER 34, approved February 25, 2005 amends P.L.1977, c.223 and permits certain emergency management volunteers to display blue emergency lights by adding, "any county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency Management recognized by and rendering service in any county or municipality, provided the member's official duties include responding to a fire or emergency call." Assembly Bill 1578 clarifies that all persons convicted of drunk driving are required to install an ignition interlock device in any motor vehicle they own, lease or operate or have their registration certificate and license plates revoked. Senate Bill 2001 Would clarify that all persons convicted of a first, or subsequent offense of drunk driving are required to install an ignition interlock device in any motor vehicle they own, lease or operate or have their registration certificate and license plates revoked. NOTE: Monmouth County Traffic Officers Assn. opposes both bills because present legislation addresses interlock devices for multiple offenders, not first time offenders. They believe a high percentage of first time offenders are rarely charged for a second offense and a system is in place to make the present legislation work. 
NJ PEDESTRIAN DEATHS UP: Despite numerous safety programs and thousands of dollars aimed at reducing pedestrian fatalities during the past 10 years, there were 153 pedestrian deaths in 2004, up 4.1 percent from 2003. Most of the pedestrian deaths were in the most populated counties: Essex, 21; Union, 20; Bergen, 15; Middlesex, 15; Monmouth 12. Cape May and Atlantic Counties had the most per capita pedestrian deaths with 6 and 11 respectively. ANOTHER TRAFFIC OFFICER DOES GOOD: Sgt. Anthony Campbell, Somerdale PD, a longtime traffic officer, has been promoted to Chief of Police. Congratulations Chief! As of Week 7, 2005 there were 43 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 59 during the same period in 2004, A DECREASE OF 16 BODIES. .
*Blank spaces: Information unavailable* *Blank spaces: Information unavailable* As of this report, there were 31 driver deaths, 07 passengers, 05 pedestrians, 00 motorcycle drivers, 00 motorcycle passengers, and 00 pedacyclists. There were 43 fatalities in 40 crashes. UNBUCKLED COPS AT RISK: In 2003 more police officers died from traffic crashes than from gunshot wounds. A study shows unbuckled Police Officers are 2.6 percent more likely to die if their patrol car crashes than officers who use safety belts. The findings show that 60 percent of fatal crashes occurred when police were responding to non-emergency calls when safety belt use was slightly lower for these calls. Some excuses police use for not wearing safety belts are: they get tangled up in their gear and they get in and out of the car many times during a tour of duty. The study also noted that officers that do not wear safety belts usually do not enforce them either. E-Z PASS MAY GET YOU GAS: The gang in Trenton is trying to convince Turnpike Authorities to permit use of E-Z Pass to buy gasoline at service stations on the Turnpike and Parkway. They say they always intended for E-Z Pass to have broader use than just toll payment. Even though this has not happened, and may never be, the "can't get anything right" misfits on 101.5 had a field day by telling motorists cops will use E-Z Pass to track speeders next. 
CALL FOR INSTRUCTORS: One of the purposes for which this association formed was to provide quality training for traffic officers. The Board of Directors decided to embark on a program to provide comprehensive instruction in areas of police traffic safety and a special committee has begun to set things in motion. Our ultimate goal is to establish a New Jersey Police Traffic Safety Institute, but we first need to gauge whether we have qualified people to provide the instruction. Currently various traffic courses are available but there does not appear to be one central source where members can go for uniform training in many areas in police traffic safety. The cornerstone of this project is recognizing that our members, active and retired, have the knowledge, experience and expertise to conduct specialized training. Therefore, we come to you for help in the initial stages of this project. We are compiling a list of members who are interested in teaching and possess certification and or experience and knowledge to instruct various traffic safety courses. Some of the areas we are seeking include but are not limited to: Doppler Radar, Laser; Work Zone Safety; Fraudulent Documents; Title 39; Title 2C pertaining to traffic areas of the law; Crash Reporting; Traffic Engineering; Photography; Interviewing techniques for drivers and crash witnesses; Expert testimony preparation; Specialized crash investigation, etc. If you are interested or know of a retired member who has the expertise we are seeking, please send the information to Joe Cofone at the following email address, Crashman2u@hotmail.com by April 30th. Include Name, Department, Contact phone #, Contact email address, and area of expertise or course you would like to teach. Also indicate if you have written certification for your area of expertise. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS |