SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The South Brunswick Police Department has launched a “multi-pronged approach” to address the increase in serious crashes around the Township, Police Chief Raymond Hayducka announced.
Although the total number of crashes in the Township has decreased over the past five years, the severity of the crashes has increased, police said. In 2021, seven people were killed in crashes and six people have been killed in 2022, according to data from the police.
Date | Number of Crashes (comparison) |
Jan. 1, 2018 – Sept. 21, 2018 | 1,783 |
Jan. 1, 2019 – Sept. 21, 2019 | 1,703 |
Jan. 1, 2020 – Sept. 21, 2020 | 1,116 |
Jan. 1, 2021 – Sept. 21, 2021 | 1,245 |
Jan. 1, 2022 – Sept. 21, 2022 | 1,336 |
“Traffic deaths are on the rise around the State and nation and we must address it,” Hayducka said.
The multi-prong approach will combine enforcement, education, and community engagement to improve road safety.
ENFORCEMENT – Zero Tolerance Zones
Teams of officers will be out in marked and unmarked patrol cars creating zero-tolerance zones across the Township. These efforts will focus on areas based on crash data, citizen complaints, and violation data. Officers will target the leading causes of crashes in the community including aggressive driving, careless driving, distracted driving, speeding, tailgating, failure to observe traffic signs and impaired driving.
EDUCATION
The United States Department of Transportation report states that traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers in America. To this end, traffic officers and the School Resource Officer (SRO) at the South Brunswick High School, will continue to instruct on driver safety in driver’s education classes. This training will also be open to any other groups serving youth in the Township, Hayducka said. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The department’s Community Policing bureau is creating presentations on driver safety practices to present to community groups. These lessons will address basic steps drivers can take to improve roadway safety. “We will also be putting weekly safety tips on our website, Nixle, Twitter, and Instagram to raise awareness,” police said.
FUTURE EFFORTS
The police department is also seeking to expand the Safe Corridor designation on township highways. A “Safe Corridor” or “Safe Corridor area” is a segment of highway, under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (Department) which, based upon crash rates, fatalities, traffic volume, and other highway traffic safety criteria, is identified by the Commissioner of Transportation as a segment warranting designation as a “Safe Corridor”.
The designation will create more funding for education, enforcement, capital undertakings, and other related measures that foster highway safety.
Through these efforts and by working closely with the community, the police department hopes to drive down serious crashes and injuries in the Township.
For more information on traffic safety presentations for local groups or organizations, contact Lieutenant Gene Rickle at (732) 329-4000 extension 7459.
For questions on traffic safety for teenage drivers contact School Resource Officer Detective Scott Bucca at (732) 329-4044 extension 3281.
Complaints or concerns about traffic-related issues can be addressed to Traffic Safety Bureau at (732) 329-4000 extension 7472.
Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com
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