Sheriff Armando Fontoura today advised local motorists that officers from his department will conduct distracted Driver Enforcement Operations throughout all of Essex County’s 22 municipalities from April 1st through April 21st.
Sheriff Fontoura said this initiative has been funded by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and it is being undertaken to prevent further deaths and injuries to drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
“The number of persons killed or maimed as the direct result of distracted driving is truly staggering,” Fontoura said. “Inattentive driving persists despite educational, awareness and enforcement efforts by public safety personnel. We are hopeful that this initiative will serve as a wake-up call to all drivers.”
The most recent statistics reveal that 3,328 people were killed and more than 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in 2012. “In New Jersey, we’re making inroads,” the sheriff noted.
“In 2013, there were 48 fewer deaths that the 590 killed in 2012. We peaked in 2011 with 627 deaths.” Fontoura added that the most frequent causes of distracted driving incidents are driver inattentiveness, pedestrian violations, unsafe speed, failure to yield the right of way and failure to obey traffic signals.
“Unfortunately, many drivers continue to text and drive and use their cell phones while their vehicle is in motion,” the sheriff pointed out. “If you’re in this business long enough you’ll see it all.
We see people eating their breakfast, reading their newspaper, applying make-up and watching videos while driving. It’s insane and unsafe.”