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MEETING NOTICES: Board Of Directors: The next meeting is at the call of the President. Regular Business Meeting: The next Regular Business Meeting is on Wednesday Febuary 4, 2004, at the SOMERVILLE ELKS CLUB, ROUTE 28 (Union Avenue), BRIDGEWATER, NJ. beginning at 10:00 AM. Please note the change in the meeting place. RADAR TUNING FORKS: Weights and Measures will test Radar tuning forks for departments A through M at the February 4, 2004 meeting. Departments N through Z will be tested at the March 3, 2004 meeting. Please keep tuning forks together by rubber band or in a large envelope. Also bring along a blank department letterhead, a self addressed envelope, a purchase order or voucher. The cost is $5.00 per fork and payable to NJ Division of Weights and Measures. If we cancel either meeting testing will be done at the following meeting. Details will be in the newsletter and on our website. CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE: After too many months of frustration and change of vendors, we finally are up and going with our website. At this point in time the best way to enter the site is through Internet Explorer. As you will see we have some fine-tuning to do so kindly bear with us. LETTER TO GO WITH NEW LICENSE: The Motor Vehicle Commission will provide letters of authenticity to recipients of the new digitized driver's licenses next month. Their concern is bank tellers or airline clerks, will mistake the redesigned licenses as fake. This came about when a MVC employee tried to cash her check using her digital license and was turned down. That incident led the agency to come up with a two-page letter to vouch for the new documents that feature 22 forms of security to thwart fraud that had been capitalizing on the more easily counterfeited paper-and-photo licenses held by 6 million Garden State motorists. The new licenses' feature holograms, special ink and a second photo visible only under ultraviolet light. Although MVC officials have tried to raise awareness about the new features, some of the security devices remain a secret. SUPREME COURT OK's ROADBLOCKS: In a recent decision by the Supreme Court police may, under certain conditions, set up roadblocks to collect tips about crimes. The decision rejects concerns that police might use the checkpoints to fish for unrelated suspicious activity. The constitutionality of the informational roadblocks was challenged by an accused drunk driver at a checkpoint to get tips about a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist. The roadblock was at the same spot and time of night the hit-and-run took place about a week earlier. Even though the police got no helpful tips that night they arrested the drunk after he nearly hit an officer with his minivan. He argued that police could have used other methods to get information about the hit-and-run driver, such as billboards or stories in newspapers and on radio and television. Although the justices have allowed random sobriety checkpoints to detect drunk drivers they ruled in 2000 that roadblocks intended for drug searches are an unreasonable invasion of privacy under the Constitution. In the recent decision, Justice Stephen Breyer said that short stops, "a very few minutes at most" are not too intrusive on motorists, considering the value in crime solving. Police may hand out fliers or ask drivers to volunteer information. MEETING CANCELLATIONS: We try not to cancel business meetings but sometimes the weatherman does not cooperate. If we cancel a meeting due to bad weather or otherwise, the cancellation notice will be on the police network by 0600 on the date of the meeting. MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2004 NOW DUE: The yearly dues for department membership is $35.00. We do not bill individual members, the department is the billing entity. Please process your voucher, purchase order, write the check, or use whatever means necessary to pay the dues. Thank you. As of December 31, 2003, there were 729 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 771 during the same period in 2002, AN DECREASE OF 12 BODIES.
During this period, there were 380-driver deaths, 167-passengers, 141-pedestrians, 33-motorcycle drivers, 01 Motorcycle passenger, and 11-pedacyclist. There were 729 fatalities in 667 crashes. LEGISLATIVE STUFF: .08 Law: For the first offense: (i) if the person's blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or higher but2 less than 0.10%, or the person operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or the person permits another person who is under the influence of intoxicating liquor to operate a motor vehicle owned by him or in his custody or control or permits another person with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher but less than 0.10% to operate a motor vehicle, to a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $400 and a period of detainment of not less than 12 hours nor more than 48 hours spent during two consecutive days of not less than six hours each day and served as prescribed by the program requirements of the Intoxicated Driver Resource Centers established under subsection (f) of this section and, in the discretion of the court, a term of imprisonment of not more than 30 days and shall forthwith forfeit his right to operate a motor vehicle over the highways of this State for a period of three months; (ii) if the person's blood alcohol concentration is 0.10% or higher, or the person operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit-producing drug, or the person permits another person who is under the influence of narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit-producing drug to operate a motor vehicle owned by him or in his custody or control, or permits another person with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10% or more to operate a motor vehicle, to a fine of not less than [$250.00] $300 nor more than $500. CELL PHONE LAW: 1. a. The use of a wireless telephone by an operator of a moving motor vehicle on a public road or highway shall be unlawful except when the telephone is a hands-free wireless telephone, provided that its placement does not interfere with the operation of federally required safety equipment and the operator exercises a high degree of caution in the operation of the motor vehicle. b. The operator of a motor vehicle may use a hand-held wireless telephone while driving with one hand on the steering wheel only if: (1) The operator has reason to fear for his life or safety, or believes that a criminal act may be perpetrated against himself or another person; or (2) The operator is using the telephone to report to appropriate authorities a fire, a traffic accident, a serious road hazard or medical or hazardous materials emergency, or to report the operator of another motor vehicle who is driving in a reckless, careless or otherwise unsafe manner or who appears to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A hand-held wireless telephone user's telephone records or the testimony or written statements from appropriate authorities receiving such calls shall be deemed sufficient evidence of the existence of all lawful calls made under this paragraph. As used in this act, "hands-free wireless telephone" means a mobile telephone that has an internal feature or function, or that is equipped with an attachment or addition, whether or not permanently part of such mobile telephone, by which a user engages in a conversation without the use of either hand; provided, however, this definition shall not preclude the use of either hand to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of the telephone. "Use" of a wireless telephone shall include, but not be limited to, talking or listening to another person on the telephone. c. Enforcement of this act by State or local law enforcement officers shall be accomplished only as a secondary action when the operator of a motor vehicle has been detained for a violation of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes or another offense. d. A person who violates this section shall be fined no less than $100 or more than $250. e. No motor vehicle points or automobile insurance eligibility points pursuant to section 26 of P.L.1990, c.8 (C.17:33B-14) shall be assessed for this offense. f. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall develop and undertake a program to notify and inform the public as to the provisions of this act. 2. The prohibitions set forth in this act shall not be applicable to any of the following persons while in the actual performance of their official duties: a law enforcement officer; a member of a paid, part-paid, or volunteer fire department or company; or an operator of an authorized emergency vehicle. 3. This act supercedes and preempts all ordinances of any county or municipality with regard to the use of a wireless telephone by an operator of a motor vehicle. 4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment. (07/01/04) NOTE: the statute # is pending. 
NEXT MEETING, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2004 - 10:00 AM SOMERVILLE ELKS CLUB, ROUTE 28, BRIDGEWATER, NJ WE SALUTE OUR FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN |