Washington Township police heighten enforcement of distracted driving during April
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, recognizing the dangers and risks of driving while using cell-phones and hand-held electronic devices. To combat distracted driving, Washington Township Police Department is enforcing the hands-free law with additional patrols and a high visibility law enforcement initiative targeting drivers talking on handheld cellphones or texting while driving.
With the help of a $45,000 grant received by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office from the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety, allocated to 16 towns in the county, extra patrols enforcing the law against distracted driving were funded.
The extra patrols will take place through April 21.
“This is an enforcement, not warnings, campaign where productivity and performance are important,” Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik said. “The best way to end distracted driving is to educate students and all Americans about the danger it poses.”
According to Gurcsik, a major concern is new teenage drivers.
“Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19-years-old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes,” Gurcsik said. “This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crashes.”
On Saturday, April 1, Sgt. Robert Stokley and Officer Matthew Laudenslager worked together on tandem enforcement, targeting drivers in Washington Township who were using their cell phone behind the wheel. Within the four-hour shift between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the two distributed 16 summonses and one arrest. The patrolmen had a driver pulled over almost every 15 to 30 minutes during their first hour and a half on duty.
According to Stokley, offenders of distracted driving vary in demographics, having pulled over teenagers to adults 40 to 50 years old.
“It’s in people’s nature,” Stokley said. “Technology and their phones are always there. They use them while they walk, while they talk, they are so used to doing it that it’s second nature.”
According to Gurcsik, officers cited more than 600 drivers last year for distracted driving and cell phone use. A summons requires mandatory court appearance with the first offense, a minimum of $200 in fines and court costs. The second offense is a fine between $400 and $600, and a third offense is between $600 and $800 with a loss of license.
In 2008, the New Jersey cell phone offense was changed from a secondary offense to a primary offense, Gurcsik said. Officers may then stop and ticket drivers solely for using their cell phones while driving.
“Distracted driving is a serious issue on our roadways,” said Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the state division of highway traffic safety, in a release. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2014 alone, 3,179 people were killed in distracted driving crashes, and an estimated 431,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.”
Washington Township is home to two distracted driving accidents that led to fatalities and inspired non-profit organizations that fight for change and accountability.
Angela Donato, councilwoman and teacher at Bells Elementary School, lost her 28-year-old sister and unborn nephew to a distracted driver in 2011, inspiring the creation of The Toni Donato-Bolis & Baby RJ Foundation. Mike Kellenyi lost his 18-year-old daughter Nikki in 2012 during a car accident when the driver ran a stop sign, and was hit by an oncoming pickup truck. Three months later, Kellenyi and his wife Gina created the national charity People Against Distracted Driving.
“Our goal every day is, if we can tell one new person about Toni and baby RJ, maybe they’ll think twice about picking up their cell phone, or maybe they’ll tell someone and they’ll help someone else,” Donato said.
According to Donato, the person who had been on the phone with the man who hit and killed Toni and baby RJ made a statement 11 months after the accident that he had asked the driver over the phone to look for his hat he had left in his car.
“We’re led to believe that he was distracted by being on his phone and leaning over looking for this hat,” Donato said. “The driver that was in front of my sister said when he saw him coming, he didn’t even see a face because he was completely leaned over, reaching for something.”
The non-profit foundation, originated by Donato and her family, raises money used for scholarships distributed to high school students, spreads awareness about the dangers of distracted driving to schools and companies around the tri-state area, and aims to give Toni and baby RJ a legacy of change. The foundation has awarded $44,000 to approximately 35 recipients.
“The most important part is they take distracted driving awareness to college with them … and help try to save a life there,” Donato said.
During presentations to schools, Donato’s father, Charles, gives students an example in hopes of putting the dangers of distracted driving into perspective.
“A lot of high school kids don’t like to take the bus to school so they have their parents drop them off or they drive with their siblings,” Charles said. “I say to them all the time, there’s your opportunity. When you’re driving with somebody and you see them pick up their phone, you need to grab the phone from their hands and say, ‘you can’t do this while you’re driving.’ Do you understand the person that is either in front of you or coming in the opposite direction could be a relative, a friend, a neighbor, and you could kill them? Think about it.”
The Donatos partnered with two other families to create the Kulesh, Kubert and Bolis’ Law in 2012, which empowers prosecutors to charge offenders of distracted driving with committing vehicular homicide or assault when accidents occur due to reckless driving. Donato is working with politicians to create a federal law for distracted driving.
“I’m proud of my family and I’m proud of New Jersey for passing the law, but the problem I have with the law is that someone has to die, someone has to be killed, like my daughter and my grandson, in order for that law to be used,” Charles said. “I don’t want to see that law be used, because if it is used, it means someone died because of a selfish act.”
The worst day of Kellenyi’s life was getting the call that his daughter had been killed in a car accident, he said. After three months of crying on the couch, he and his wife felt lost. After searching the Internet and reaching out to other organizations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Kellenyis realized there was nowhere for victims of distracted driving to go for help. The family took it upon themselves to be the ear and resource for others like them around the country.
PADD raises awareness, educates and provides a 24/7 victim support hotline service for those who have experienced tragedy. According to Kellenyi, last month PADD helped its 1,000th victim through its support service.
“It’s a great thing for a charity to reach that number, but it’s a terrible thing because it’s a number of how many people have died for families to reach out to us,” Kellenyi said. “We’re helping other people like us. It’s an honor to Nikki.”
Kellenyi believes to combat distracted driving, the mindset of America needs to change.
“Most people wouldn’t call the police when they see someone texting and driving, but if you saw somebody drunk driving, swerving all over the road, most people would call the police in a second,” Kellenyi said.
To make distracted driving stop, Kellenyi said, the dangers need to be taught to children in elementary school to influence their parents and peers who are of driving age to put the phones down.
“Most kids have already learned that drunk driving is bad, so you have to make them realize that this is more dangerous than driving drunk,” Kellenyi said. “It’s very hard to get them to really believe it; not many of them will actually stop because they think they’re invincible.”
Kellenyi, much like Donato, is working on getting a federal law passed.
“We’ll have the first offense using cell-phone or electronic devices as a loss of license for six months and a $3,000 fine, plus points,” Kellenyi said. “To me, and a lot of people, that’s how you’re going to curtail distracted driving. If people know they could potentially lose their license for six months, they may put their phone down.”
To support the organizations during April, fundraising and awareness events have been planned to benefit the nonprofits.
On Monday, April 10, the second annual Benefit for Distracted Driving Awareness Month will be held at Adelphia in Deptford. The fundraising event featuring live entertainment, a cash bar, buffet, 50/50 raffles and more will benefit the Toni and RJ Foundation Scholarship Program. For more information, visit www.toniandrjfoundation.org.
On Saturday, April 15, the fifth anniversary of Nikki’s death, PADD will host its annual “Walk with PADD” event at Washington Lake Park. Same-day registration will begin at 7 a.m. with the walk beginning promptly at 9 a.m. Registration costs a donation of $25 on the day-of, while advanced online registration is $20. For more information, visit www.padd.org.
If you, or someone you know, are a victim of distracted driving, contact PADD at info@padd.org, or call the 24/7-support hotline at (273) 238-DTAD.
