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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: Next Regular Business Meeting: The Next Regular Business Meeting is WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2006, 10:00 AM at the Somerville Elks Club, Route 28 (Union Avenue) Bridgewater, NJ. Board Of Directors: The next meeting is at the call of the President.  PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: So far it's been a quiet summer. If it wasn't for the state shutting down for one week over disagreements in the budget there would not have been any excitement at all. Some things in politics never change! Please note the "Back To Basics" seminar sponsored by the NJ Association of Accident Reconstructionists featured elsewhere in this newsletter. This seminar affords an excellent opportunity to brush up on investigation and reconstruction techniques. The topics are timely - the instructors topnotch. Now would be a good time to go over your adult school guard roster and line up enough personnel to fill the posts with a couple in reserve. Don't forget the governing body must reappoint school guards each year. Also if you have a post where traffic control is essential, rather than a regular officer wasting valuable time at the post, you can have the guard become a Class 1 Special Police Officer. Class 1 Specials can legally direct traffic. Stay Safe - Bill STATE POLICE GET GOOD MARKS ON ENDING RACIAL PROFILING: According to independent monitors NJ State Police "far exceeded" the requirements of a court settlement designed to end racial profiling since they agreed to change their policies following a 1998 shooting on the NJ Turnpike. The monitors said NJ State Police "have embraced the consent decree as an effective change mechanism and have met the requirements of the decree in both letter and spirit." The report also said the changes created a "solid foundation for moving the organization forward in a "professional, constitutional and ethically progressive manner." State Attorney General Zulima Farber is considering whether to join a US Justice Department request to ask the US District Court in Trenton to dissolve the consent decree because state police have fully complied with its terms. State Police Rick Fuentes stated he "couldn't be happier" with the report. "It certainly is an endorsement and a validation of the fine work that has been done by our troopers across the state."  LEGISLATIVE STUFF: S-1074, Littell/Coniglio: Authorizes people with mobility-related disabilities to operate scooters on public property. PL 1999, c.39, Section 1 (amended), Requires bid proposals to include traffic safety requirements. NJAAR BACK TO BASICS SEMINAR: NJAAR is hosting a two-day crash investigation/reconstruction conference entitled "Back to Basics" on September 7-8, 2006 at the Middlesex County Fire Academy, Sayerville. The conference runs daily from 0800 to 1600 hours at $20.00 per with refreshments provided. Go to www.NJAAR.org for registration forms and further information. Completed forms must be mailed in with a check or purchase order to NJAAR, PO Box 8138, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. All NJPTOA members are welcome to attend. Topics include: Evidence from the road and vehicles - How these areas can yield very important support and examples on how it helps an investigation/reconstruction. Yaw marks - How to measure and interpret a yaw mark, post collision marks that appear to be yaw marks but are not, yaw marks from a vehicle that is accelerating, braking or not free rolling. ABS - How stability control affects yaw marks. A section on alcohol & drugs, including the various methods for handling cases involving same. Taking measurements at a crash scene and the importance of good measurements. Case studies showing how the above information is used to conduct a reconstruction and prepare a report. Putting together a crash investigation and/or reconstruction report noting what should be included and why. There also will be a special section on new vehicle technology presented by Mercedes Benz. 
BASIC ENGINEERING FOR POLICE TRAFFIC OFFICERS: This course is being offered again by Rutgers University and runs for 10 Thursdays and 1 Monday between September 7th and November 13th, 6:45 - 9:45 PM. Cost is $660. Call 732-932-3640, ext. 648 for more information and a registration form. As of Week 23 there were 308 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 260 during the same period in 2005, AN INCREASE OF 48 BODIES.
There were 165 Driver deaths, 57 Passengers, 68 Pedestrians, 12 Motorcycle Drivers, 03 Motorcycle Passengers, and 03 Pedacyclists. There were 308 fatalities in 289 cashes. DWI FUNDING SHORT: Al Tindal (NJDHTS) reports funding is practically non-existent for this year's DWI enforcement program coming at the end of their budget year. NJDHTS is asking police to do whatever drunk driving enforcement or educational efforts they can manage on their own including straight time and any supplemental activities normally conducted. He asks officers to keep track of the time and results of any efforts your agency may do. He will send forms to police departments to fax results to him. He will forward a final report to NHTSA of the state's activities and results. 
PROPOSED INSPECTION STANDARDS TEST PROCEDURES: MVC is proposing to change their auto inspection standards at inspection facilities to eliminate what they call "problems not considered linked to safety." The list is quite long and includes things like inoperable horn, cracked windshield, license plate light out, having only one plate, broken or missing mirror, bumper with excessive rust, missing or misaligned gear shift indicator, etc. MVC says inspectors will advise motorists of the items needing repair and of their responsibility to make the repairs, but will not fail the vehicle. Police stopping vehicles with an advisory repair notice could summon drivers who fail to make the repair(s). MVC estimates they could save about $3.5 million by not having failed vehicles return for re-inspection. Some police are concerned about not failing a vehicle with an inoperable driver side window or door as this could be hazardous to police officers during motor vehicle stops. The Motor Vehicle Employees Union opposes the proposal claiming they will lose about 100 members and "it is no good for the public." DOUBLE JEOPARDY RESOLVE IN TRAFFIC CASES: The governor has signed Bill # A-911, PL 2006, c.28, clarifying jurisdiction concerning matters involving death or serious bodily injury and motor vehicles offenses arising out of same incident. The new law vests exclusive jurisdiction in the Superior Court for Title 39 violations that are companion to criminal charges involving death or serious bodily injury. Utilizing this procedure will prevent potential double jeopardy issues that might arise if a defendant pleads guilty to a traffic ticket containing recklessness as an element while there remains an unresolved indictable criminal charge that also has recklessness as an element. Essentially, this statute codifies the New Jersey Supreme Court directive issued 23 years ago following the publication of State v. Dively, 92 N.J. 573 (1983). The original bill was introduced by Mercer County legislators in a case where a defense attorney attempted to enter a plea on behalf of his client to reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident during a first appearance in municipal court without revealing to the judge and municipal prosecutor that the accident that resulted in the tickets being issued involved two homicides and charges of aggravated manslaughter. The new law was enacted in direct response to that case and signed on 7/15/06. 
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT AND BULLETPROOF VEST SUPPORT OUR TROOPS IN THE ARMED SERVICES NEXT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 6, Somerville Elks Club, Route 28 (Union Avenue) Bridgewater |