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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, OCTOBER 5, 2005, 10:00 AM at The Somerville Elks Club, Route 28 (Union Avenue) Bridgewater, NJ.  HELMET LAW CHANGED: Governor Cody signed Assembly Bill No. 3346 into law and will take effect on March 1, 2006. The law amends 39:4-10.1 to require persons under 17 years of age to wear a helmet when operating or riding a bicycle, roller skates or a skateboard. Under current law, persons under the age of 14 years are required to wear a helmet when operating this equipment. The law also includes technical changes, reflecting the higher age, to the sections of law which: (1) requires businesses that rent or sell bicycles, roller skates, or skateboards to post signs regarding the helmet laws; and (2) limits the civil liability of those businesses. CDL "S" ENDORSEMENT EXTENDED: : The effective date of requirements for commercially licensed driver transporting schoolchildren has been extended. Recently Federal Legislation, HR3, Section 7606, was enacted to extend the September 30, 2005 deadline for testing and licensing of school bus drivers to September 30, 2006. School bus drivers in NJ now have until September 30, 2006 to obtain an "S" endorsement for their CDL. School bus drivers currently holding a "P" endorsement are authorized by the state Department of Education to continue operating school buses until the new deadline. Note that the "S" school bus endorsement should not be confused with the "S" restriction, that has been issued to CDL holders with a "P" passenger endorsement who are qualified to transport school children. As of October 1, 2005, the Motor Vehicle Commission is suspending the school bus "S" endorsement privilege for all "S" restricted drivers. This change will be noted on the driver history record  UNITED WE STAND LICENSE PLATES: The "United We Stand" license plates benefit the Rewards for Justice Program, that provides reward money for reliable information that leads to the capture of terrorist, and terrorist plots. The "United We Stand" license plate program offers citizens an easy, visible way to show their patriotism and fight terrorism with the proceeds collected from the plate going to the Rewards for Justice Fund. To get your plates, just go to any motor vehicle agency with your current plates and registration and pick up the new" United We Stand" plates, or call 888.486.3339 (toll free in New Jersey) on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for an application to request the plates through the mail (out of state call 609.292.6500). Plates cost $50 with an annual $10 renewal fee. You can order personalized plate with up to five characters for $100 and a $10 yearly renewal by mail. BLUE LIGHT LAW FOR VOLUNTEERS AMENDED: : Amendments were made to the "blue light" law (39:3-54.7), passed on 9/7/05 and take effect on April 1, 2006. A summary of the amendments follows. Any member of a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad recognized by and rendering service in any municipality; or 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 may mount and operate, on a motor vehicle operated by that member, an emergency warning light or lights. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall not require the member to specify on which motor vehicles the emergency warning light or lights may be mounted. Emergency warning lights shall be removable or permanently attached, of the flashing or revolving type, equipped with a blue lens and controlled by a switch installed inside the vehicle or shall be blue of the light bar type, in accordance with the specifications prescribed by the Chief Administrator of MVC, or in the center of the dashboard. It may be a low profile light bar of the strobe, halogen or incandescent type, or a combination thereof. Light elements shall be shielded from direct sight or view of the driver. The new law allows blue low profile light bars and dashboard lights but does not authorize strobe lights for brake, head or corner lights.  As of Week 37, 2005 , there were 447 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 434 during the same period in 2004, AN INCREASE OF 13 BODIES. .
As of this report, there were 244 driver deaths, 80 passengers, 76 pedestrians, 38 motorcycle drivers, 01 Motorcycle passengers, and 08 pedacyclists. There were 447 fatalities in 419 cashes. REGION 2 REGION REPRESENTATIVE COLM MCAULEY RESIGNED: Colm McAuley, Jersey City Police Department, resigned his position in the NJPTOA, citing an increased workload at his department. A replacement will be named to fill the un-expired term which ends in December 2005. 
RULES FOR CAR ROOFS PROPOSED: In an effort to build stronger roofs on vehicles Federal officials are proposing new rules to automakers. For the first time the proposal would apply to large sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks weighing up to 10,000 pounds. The current standard exempts vehicles over 6,000 pounds. NHTSA said it also would seek information from the industry and safety advocates on other ways to protect occupants in rollovers, including the potential use of improved safety belt technology. Rollover crashes account for more than one-third of traffic fatalities. In 2004, 10,553 people died in rollover crashes. The plan would require roofs to withstand direct pressure of 2.5 times the vehicle weight; the current rule is 1.5 times the weight. 
EARLY FARS REPORT: Early results from the 2004 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that the number of persons killed in the U.S. in motor vehicle traffic crashes declined from 2003. This is the second consecutive year in which traffic crash fatalities have declined after reaching a recent high of 43,005 in 2002. With an expected increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the fatality rate per 100 million VMT will be 1.46, the lowest recorded by the Department of Transportation. Early results also show a decline in pedestrian fatalities and in fatalities in all passenger vehicles combined. By vehicle type, occupant fatalities increased in large trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUV). Motorcycle rider fatalities increased for the seventh year in a row, exceeding 4,000 fatalities for the first year since 1987. In other significant results fatalities in alcohol-related crashes decreased for a second year, declining by 2.4 percent, falling below 17,000 fatalities for the first time in five years. Fatalities declined by 1.8 percent in crashes where the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.08 or greater. Fatalities of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants declined by 3.4 percent, reflecting the increasing use of safety belts and contributing to the overall reduction in passenger vehicle occupant fatalities. Increases were found in the number of passenger vehicle occupants killed when their vehicle rolled over (1.1 percent) and for persons killed in crashes involving large trucks (3.1 percent). As of week 37 New Jersey is up 13 bodies over the same period last year and pedestrian fatalities also are up and well above the national average. CHILD SAFETY SEATS: NHTSA proposed new requirements for child safety seat manufacturers that choose to make booster seats for older and heavier children. The proposal requires them to build seats capable of protecting children up to 10 years old and weighing up to 80 pounds from death or serious injury in 30 mile-per-hour crashes. NHTSA would also use a new, fully instrumented dummy simulating an 80-pound, 10 year-old child to make sure seats meet the proposed new requirements. Currently, NHTSA tests seats rated for children weighing a maximum of 65 pounds. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS |