|
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, OCTOBER 4, 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: Mark your calendar for Wednesday December 6, 2006 and plan to attend the NJPTOA meeting. The NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety is sponsoring the meeting and you may invite a guest or two (preferably your chief or traffic supervisor) to attend with you. Congratulations guys and gals, you did a great job on the “Click It or Ticket” campaign. NJDHTS said safety belt usage in NJ soared to 89.9%! Remember to get your NJDHTS outstanding grant reports in by October 31, 2006. I’m sorry to have to inform you that the committee updating the adult crossing guard training kit has fallen apart. The private sector (profit seekers) jumped in and is in the process of developing a new kit. We’ll wait and see how it turns out and then decide whether to accept it or develop our own. In the good news department, MVC has agreed to meet with us to discuss our concerns regarding the proposed auto inspection standards. As I reported in the past, our concern is that some of the items under consideration for elimination have serious safety issues and in particular police officer safety. If you need to contact me my e-mail address is wtpolice@carrol.com and the NJPTOA direct line to my office is 201-664-1744. Stay Safe – Bill. CHANGE IN HOSPITAL CODE WEBSITE: The NJ Department of Heath has changed their website address for the hospital codes used on the NJTR-1. The address that is printed on the overlay of the NJTR-1 book needs to be changed to the new one. The new website is http://www.state.nj.us/health/ems/index.html  MVC JOHN SPORANO IS BACK: After a 3 month recovery from surgery John rejoined us at the September meeting. It was good to see him with his usual smile and the dance he does while speaking at the podium. We wish him continued good health and deeply appreciate the quality of service he provides the Association. Although he dances while speaking at the podium, when it comes to business, he is honest, responsive, and doesn’t dance around the issues. He reported there are new amber light permits (for vehicles) in print and if you see any violations or abuses of the permit contact MVC. He also reminded us that the deadline for school bus drivers to get the “S” endorsement is September 30, 2006. NJDOT SHORT HANDED: Due to the hiring freeze in the state that has been going on for the past 12 to 18 months, the NJDOT Traffic Regulation staff is down from 53 to 42. Doug Bartlett urges you to continue sending data on changes in speed limits or stop signs with your recommendation(s). They will try their best for as quick a turnaround as possible. COURSE FOR INITIAL CHILD PASSENGER CERTIFICATION: This is a 5-day course, October 2 thru 6, at the Monmouth County Fire Academy, 1027 Rt. 33, East Freehold, NJ 07728, consisting of lecture and practical exercises. There will be an exam followed by a CPS checkpoint conducted at a location to be named. Students completing the hands-on exercises, passing the 100-question exam, attending the checkpoint will receive a 2-year certification card as a Child Passenger Safety Technician from SafeKids. The cost is $60 per, payable to SafeKids. Visit http://WWW.safekids.org/certification/certification.html for payment options. Register through Instructor, Ed Barnes, Raritan Township Police Dept., 2 Municipal Dr., Flemington, NJ 908-782-8889 Fax: 908-782-1060 between 0800 and 1600 Hours. Only paid students will be admitted to the course. 
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 36 there were 473 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 411 during the same period in 2005, AN INCREASE OF 62 BODIES.
There were 234 Driver deaths, 88 Passengers, 93 Pedestrians, 47 Motorcycle Drivers, 05 Motorcycle Passengers, and 06 Pedacyclists. There were 473 fatalities in 441 cashes. DEER VEHICLE CRASH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN: The North Jersey Deer Coalition is launching a campaign from October through December to increase driver awareness about deer-vehicle crashes by providing information on where and when crashes are more likely to occur. The campaign includes distribution of information cards and bumper magnets, creation of radio spots, press outreach and a kick-off event to be held in October 2006. The Coalition also is urging police departments to use their variable message (VMS) signs to display a deer-crash message consisting of “Fall is here, Watch for Deer!” The message should be displayed beginning in October through the end of December, dusk to dawn, on roadways with a history of deer-vehicle crashes. The Coalition has maps showing deer-crash hotspots for counties in northern and central NJ and are available upon request by contacting the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority at 973-639-8413. 
NEW RULE ON EVENT DATA RECORDERS: Under a new rule issued by NHTSA, automakers will be required to tell new car buyers if an Event Data Recorder (EDR) has been installed on their vehicle. Event Data Recorders are electronic devices that capture crash data in the few seconds before, during and after a crash. EDRs do not capture any data unless the collision is severe enough to cause the airbag to deploy. While automakers are not required to install EDRs, approximately 64% of the model year 2005 passenger vehicles were equipped with the device. The new federal rule takes effect starting with model year 2011 cars and will require automakers who have chosen to install EDRs to note in the owner’s manual that the safety monitoring equipment has been installed. MOTORCYCLE & PEDESTRIAN DEATHS INCREASE IN 2005: The total number of fatalities rose 1.4% from 42,836 in 2004 to 43,443 in 2005 with a fatality rate of 1.47 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, up from 1.45 in 2004. NHTSA points to the rise in motorcycle and pedestrian deaths for the increase. Motorcycle fatalities rose 13% from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005 and almost half of the people who died were not wearing a helmet. The number of pedestrian fatalities increased to 4,881 in 2005 from 4,675 in 2004. They are investigating this year’s increase in pedestrian fatalities to determine the cause(s). The FARS report also shows that between 2004 and 2005 the number of young drivers (16-20) killed declined by 4.6% from 3,538 to 3,374. The number of children 0-15 dying in crashes dropped from 2,622 in 2004 to 2,348 in 2005. In addition, the number of fatalities from large truck crashes declined slightly from 5,235 to 5,212, while the number of occupants killed in rollover crashes increased 2.1% from 10,590 to 10,816. The number of SUV rollover fatalities dropped 1.8% from 2,929 to 2,877. You can see the 2005 report by visiting: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/ncsa/ppt/2006/810639.pdf 
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT AND BULLETPROOF VEST SUPPORT OUR TROOPS IN THE ARMED SERVICES NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2006, Somerville Elks Club, Route 28 (Union Avenue) Bridgewater |