Police give out 100 summonses in a month for distracted driving

Grant from a state agency helps pay for Monroe officer overtime

The Monroe Township Police Department has used a $7,500 grant from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to pay for police overtime so officers can monitor drivers during Distracted Driving Awareness month.

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According to Deputy Police Chief Gene Sulzbach, the Monroe department is one of the top 100 statewide for crashes that have distracted driving as a contributing factor. Just this month, officers gave out more than 100 summonses related to distracted driving.

“So essentially, we will have roving patrols throughout the town in about four- hour blocks,” said Sulzbach. “Anywhere from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., they are out there on the road and that’s all they are focused on: any distracted driving. That is what they are giving warnings for and issuing summonses for.”

According to the state of New Jersey website, a first offense could result in a fine of $200 to $400; a second could cost $400 to $600; and a third offense could mean a fine of $600 to $800, as well as three points on a license and a 90-day license suspension.

“Being a high-ranking town, our goal is to reduce motor-vehicle accidents,”  Sulzbach explained. “That’s definitely the main reason Distracted Driving Awareness month is so important to us.”  

U drive. U text. U pay. is an annual campaign from the federal Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to its records, 26,000 people nationwide died in crashes involving a distracted driver between 2012 and 2019. In 2019 alone, there were 566 non-passengers (pedestrians or bicyclists) who were killed by a distracted driver.

According to a release from the safety administration, Millennials and Gen Z drivers are the most distracted. Research also showed that since 2007, drivers 16 to 24 have used hand-held devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers.

The safety administration has released tips on how to avoid distracted driving,   including pulling over before answering a text or phone call, allowing a passenger to be a designated texter and turning on the do not disturb function on devices. 

For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving.

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