Special News Release - Traffic Safety Campaign - February, 2024
Chief Matthew P. Geist announced that the Middlesex Borough Police Department has begun an important Traffic Safety Campaign to reduce Fatal Crashes for the motoring public. After analysis of data provided by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and NHTSA, our Traffic Safety Bureau observed a statewide trend in changed driving behaviors in the years since the start of the COVID pandemic. “Our active and visible patrol officers are participating in a campaign of purposeful traffic enforcement: observing, stopping, educating, and enforcing speeding, seatbelt violations, improper cell phone use, and distracted driving. These motor vehicle violations have been found to be significant contributing factors in fatal motor vehicle crashes,” said Chief Geist. “Middlesex Borough has seen the loss of two lives to fatal crashes in the past two years. We are making a concerted effort to bring this number to Zero, and we implore our community to avoid these driving behaviors.”
The New Jersey State Police reported that unrestrained drivers account for nearly half of the drivers and passengers killed in traffic accidents in 2022, and that speeding and driver inattention persist as significant contributing factors. As disseminated through social media throughout the month of February, the police department is raising awareness and increasing targeted enforcement of speeding, unrestrained drivers and passengers, handheld cell phone usage, distracted driving and other poor driving behaviors that endanger pedestrians and other motorists. The department asks you to join them on the journey to “Zero Traffic Fatalities.”