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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 next meeting is at the call of the President. Next Regular Business Meeting: The Next Regular Business Meeting is on WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2005, 10:00 AM at the SOMERVILLE ELKS CLUB, ROUTE 28 (Union Avenue) BRIDGEWATER, NJ.  SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T PAY TO GET WHAT YOU WISH FOR: An Albion, N.Y. woman got into an argument with her son because he suspected she had been drinking after she picked him up at a friend's house. In an attempt to prove she hadn’t been drinking she drove to the local police station and asked to take a sobriety test. Turned out to be a bad mistake because police charged her with driving while intoxicated after she failed the breath test. GOOD BYE TO RACIAL PROFILING: According to a recent report, black drivers are more likely than whites to be stopped by police on parts of the New Jersey Turnpike, but there is no evidence it's because of racial profiling. According to the report the finding could stem from the fact that the chances of any vehicle being pulled over on southern segments of the Turnpike are higher, or that blacks make up a greater proportion of the motorists driving in those areas; The 40-page report, by the Police Institute at Rutgers-Newark and the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, stemmed from an examination into whether data on police stops can be used to accurately gauge whether state police still engage in racial profiling. The Police Institute was asked to analyze stop data to determine why 30 percent of the traffic stops made on the southern stretches of the Turnpike involved minority drivers, as opposed to 16 percent on other parts of the Turnpike. The analysis, which included reviews of stop data, troopers' patrol logs, accident reports, traffic volume reports and surveys, found no evidence that troopers were targeting minorities. The report noted built-in deficiencies in the 2001 "speeder survey" by a private research group, Public Services Research Institute, in which researchers photographed all vehicles spotted traveling 15 mph or more over the speed limit and then attempted to discern the race of drivers from the photographs. Nearly 32 percent of the images were not clear enough for researchers to determine the race of the driver. 
SAFETY BELTS SAVE LIVES: Safety belts were credited with saving the lives of six people whose minivan plunged 400 feet down a 60-degree slope in Colorado. The minivan tumbled down the embankment, rolled twice, and landed with the driver’s side facing down. All six people were properly belted and all walked away with no injuries. TIME IS RUNNING OUT: Membership dues notices were posted in the Newsletter several times and bills were included in the January Newsletter. If your department membership dues are not paid by June 1, 2005, your department may be dropped. NJPTOA By-Laws - ARTICLE II Section 2. “Any department failing to pay their dues on or before the first day of June may be dropped from the rolls of this Association. Any department so dropped may be reinstated by the Board of Directors.” LEGISLATIVE STUFF: S-2443 Buono. Newly-manufactured busses be equipped with sensors. S-2444 Adler. Bicycle commuters-income tax deduct. SR91 Vitale. Allows using E-Zpass to pay for gasoline on the Turnpike and Parkway. The following bill was released from committee and send to the Governor. A-2605 Stender. Increases penalty for failure to yield at crosswalks.  As of Week 15, 2005, there were 124 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 147 during the same period in 2004, A DECREASE OF 23 BODIES.
As of this report, there were 85 driver deaths, 21 passengers, 18 pedestrians, 00 motorcycle drivers, 00 motorcycle passengers, and 00 pedacyclists. There were 124 fatalities in 118 crashes. WHAT A WAY TO TIE ONE ON: A woman in Adrian, Michigan plead guilty to driving while drunk after drinking 3 glasses of Listerine. Police suspected she was intoxicated after she rear-ended another vehicle stopped at a traffic signal. Police found a bottle of Listerine in her car. She passed one test but failed another using different equipment. Her BAC was .30 percent. Original formula Listerine contains 26.9 percent alcohol, more than 4 times that of many malt liquors. 
CLICK IT OR TICKET MOBILIZATION: Starting one week before and running one week after the Memorial Day holiday - May 23 to June 5, 2005 - thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country will be actively enforcing State safety belt laws during the Click It or Ticket Mobilization. These efforts, coupled with paid advertising and the support of government agencies, traffic safety organizations, local advocates and others, will result in dramatic increases in safety belt use, and protect motorists against one of the greatest threats to us all - traffic crashes. More than 12,000 law enforcement agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will conduct safety belt checkpoints and other special law enforcement activities. 
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR ALL CARS IN 2006: All passenger cars will have tire pressure monitoring systems beginning with the 2006 model year according to a new motor vehicle safety standard by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The regulation requires manufacturers to install systems that detect when one or more of the vehicle’s tires are 25 percent or more below the recommended inflation pressure. Phase-in of the new regulation will begin Sept. 1, 2005. All new 4-wheeled vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less must be equipped with the monitoring system by the 2008 model year. According to NHTSA, under-inflated tires can adversely affect fuel economy, lead to skidding and loss of control and hydroplaning on wet surfaces. It can also increase stopping distance and the likelihood of tire failures. NHTSA estimates that about 120 lives a year will be saved when all vehicles are equipped with the tire pressure monitoring systems. In addition, consumers should see improved fuel economy and increased tire life. The manufacturers’ average cost per vehicle is estimated to be between $48.44 and $69.89. 101 DAYS OF SUMMER: 101 days of summer kickoff will be on May 19, 2005, beginning at 1100 on the Boardwalk in Seaside Heights. This year the event is a cooperative effort between The NJDHTS, the Ocean County Partnership for Safety Program, the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police and the NJPTOA. The theme focuses on two issues – the Click It or Ticket Safety Belt enforcement mobilization and You Drink and Drive, You Lose alcohol enforcement crackdown. The NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety is sending notices to all police departments about the event. They request that you respond to the formal invitation as quickly as possible so they can make food and other preparations for the event. Call Bob Gaydosh at 609-633-9022 with questions or further information. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS |