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Sergeant Kenneth McGowan
Holmdel Township Police Traffic Safety Unit
732-946-9690, ext. 1731
Or email: kmcgowan@holmdelpolice.org

WHALE (We Have A Little Emergency)

Child Safety Seat Occupant Identification Program
Sponsored by the Holmdel Kiwanis Foundation

The WHALE Program is an identification and information package that is used on child car safety seats.  In today's hectic world, where both parents often work, children may ride with their grandparents, baby-sitter, neighbor or other caregiver.  In the event of a motor vehicle accident that injures the driver, emergency personnel have no source of information to help identify the child and his or her special medical needs.  Often, rescue efforts will proceed much more smoothly and efficiently if emergency personnel know the name of the frightened child that they are treating. 

The Program consists of two WHALE stickers which are placed on the car seat to alert emergency personnel that a WHALE information label is attached to the rear of the seat.  This information label contains the child's name, date of birth, medical information, guardian's name and phone numbers, and emergency contact information.

Flyers containing the stickers are available at Holmdel Police Headquarters.

Why Buckle Up?

Studies show seat belts do save lives and reduce injuries during crashes.

Seat belts work with air bags to protect occupants.  Air bags alone are not enough to safeguard occupants.

More than 2,000 unbuckled drivers and front seat passengers died on New Jersey’s roadways in the past 10 years.

Approximately 700 unbuckled drivers and front seat passengers were thrown out of their vehicles during crashes and killed in the past 10 years. 

New Jersey’s Seat Belt Law: (NJS 39:3-76.2f)

• Applies to all passenger vehicles, including vans, pickup trucks and SUVs, that are required to be equipped with seat belts.

• Applies to all passengers, who are at least 8 years of age but less than 18 years of age, and each driver and front seat passenger of a passenger automobile, operated on a street or highway.  All occupants are required to wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt system.

• Makes the driver responsible for seat belt use by front seat passengers who are under the age of 18.

New Jersey's Child Passenger Law:

Children up to age 8 or 80 pounds must ride in a safety or booster seat in the rear seat of the vehicle.  If there is no rear seat, the child must sit in the front seat secured by a child safety seat or booster seat.

Children under age 8 who weigh more than 80 pounds must wear a seat belt anywhere in the vehicle.

Passengers age 8 to 18 (regardless of weight) must wear a seat belt anywhere inside a vehicle.

Teen Traffic Deaths Rise
Despite Graduated Licenses 

Teenage traffic deaths have jumped 16 percent since a law was enacted in 2001 to safeguard young drivers. 

New Jersey’s graduated driver’s licenses were intended to restrict when 16 and 17-year-olds can drive and who can be their passengers.  The idea was to bring young drivers along at a slower pace, letting them gain experience behind the wheel with more adult supervision.   But now parents, police and lawmakers and a state task force are questioning whether changes in driver training and lax enforcement of the law have contributed to the increase in deaths. 

Their concerns include: 

• School districts have eliminated nearly 90 percent of their free behind-the-wheel driver education programs since the 1970s.
• Parents are not teaching the rules of the road to their children or setting examples of responsible behavior.
• State agencies and court systems are too overburdened to handle GDL cases.
• Barely 60 percent of those ticketed for violating the GDL law are convicted of the offense.  Many plea bargain to a lesser charge.  On average in 2006, 15 tickets per town were issued for violating the GDL law.

“Out of the challenges we face comes the opportunity to make important changes,” Governor Corzine said after signing legislation in March establishing the Teenage Driver Safety Study Commission.   

Indeed, recklessness and neglect were motivating factors in a Freehold car crash that killed four people – three of them teens – in January, authorities say.  The 17-year-old driver had a provisional license, but he violated the GDL by carrying one too many passengers, authorities said.  Also in January, a 17-year-old driver involved in a crash in Wayne that killed his two teenage passengers was charged with vehicular homicide.  Though the 15-member commission has yet to convene – Corzine’s near-fatal accident has delayed the appointment process – the tragedies inspired lawmakers, law enforcement officers and traffic safety advocates to reexamine teen driving standards.  All plan to take an active role in the commission’s work.  “There could be factors we’re not looking at that need to be addressed,” said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, D-Middlesex, chairman of the Transportation and Public Works Committee.   

Not making a dent:

What’s ironic is that New Jersey has one of the toughest GDL laws in the nation, said David Weinstein, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.  But while states like California have had declines in traffic fatalities, New Jersey is “not making a dent,” he said. 

In 2001, the year the GDL was enacted, New Jersey ranked 30^th in traffic fatalities involving 16- and 17-year-olds.  In 2005 – the most recent year available – it was 24^th, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Fatalities – 79 in 2005 – have risen back to the high levels of the early 1990’s, when teen-driver crashes spiked and inspired the creation of the GDL.  The increase in fatalities outpaced population growth.  “The thing that’s missing is an understanding of what it (the law) is and how it can be enforced,” Weinstein said.  State officials, traffic safety advocates and even teenagers acknowledge that many flout the law, carrying too many passengers or driving all hours of the day.  Teen drivers convicted of moving violations that carry two or more points can have their license suspended and be required to go to driver training, said Mike Horan, a spokesman for the Motor Vehicle Commission.  Law enforcement officials, however, say it’s difficult to fully enforce the law because it would require police officers to question every driver who looks like a teenager, and to determine if they’re carrying too many passengers.  Under the law, only one additional person from outside a motorist’s household is allowed in the vehicle.   

Teaching the parents: 

Parents also don’t help by trusting teenagers too much and assuming they’ll drive responsibly when they hand them the keys.  Pam Fischer, director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said many parents assume that all children should know how to operate a vehicle once they complete driver education training.  “But I say (to them), ‘Wait a minute – it takes about 1,000 hours of driving before the numbers (of accidents and other issues) go down,’” she said.   

The New Jersey Police Traffic Officers Association has discussed making it easier to identify teen drivers by putting tags on their cars.  But teens could still drive past midnight “by just using another car in the family.”  Said Washington Township Police Chief William Cicchetti.  “It all goes back to teaching the parents and making sure they have the wherewithal to know all the rules and regulations,” said Cichetti, who heads the association.  Police officers also struggle to enforce the law because the Motor Vehicle Commission’s 20-year-old computer system doesn’t automatically track GDL violations, Cicchetti said.  Horan said the MVC will soon launch a multimillion-dollar project to update the agency’s computer system by 2008.  The updated system, he said, should properly track GDL offenses.  But Horan – echoing state officials – says updated technology won’t fix a problem with teen driving that’s proven to be overwhelming for state and local law enforcement agencies.   

Plea Bargains: 

Nearly twice as many motorists were charged with GDL-related offenses from June 2006 to May 2007 compared with the same period in 2004 and 2005.  But the state’s overcrowded court system has been too merciful toward teen offenders, Horan said.  “There’s nothing that prohibits plea agreements,” said Tammy Kendig, a spokeswoman for the state Administrative Office of the Courts.  Lacking enforcement power, police officers and traffic-safety advocates have called for more education.  Law enforcement officers and state officials – including Fischer – have held workshops and met with teenagers and parents to educate them on the GDL.  But Horan rejects calls that the MVC should take a more active role in regulating driving schools – and even force school districts to provide more behind-the-wheel training.  “We’re regulating junkyards.  We’re regulating auto body shops,” he said.  “We need to be dealing with teen driving.  But we say, ‘Shouldn’t consumer affairs be doing this (junkyard and auto body) stuff?’”   

Horan said he believes school districts could take a more active role and provide more than simple classroom instruction that “just teaches kids to (pass) the (written driving) test.”  New Jersey does not require behind-the-wheel training for new motorists who are 17 and older.  School districts, however, say they can no longer provide free behind-the-wheel training for new motorists who are 17 and older.  School districts, however, say they can no longer provide free behind-the-wheel training because it’s too expensive – particularly with the high cost of liability insurance.  Most eliminated their programs in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  State budget cuts in the 1990’s also forced districts to scale back on programs that were considered unessential or unaffordable, said Mike Yaple, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association.  Some, like Fair Lawn, send their students to outside driving schools.  “I think it would be a great idea to have it again, but it comes down to the fact that it’s too expensive to run,” said Sam Martone, a physical education teacher at Cliffside Park High School who helps run the school’s classroom driver education program.  Ironically, the programs were dropped as more 16- and 17-year-olds have been buying cars and driving on their own, Yaple said.  In Cliffside Park and other school districts, students must apply for parking permits because the lots at high schools are filling up every day.  Students, as a result, complain that they’re forced to pay for expensive driving schools that charge as much as $300 to get training.  Many don’t bother, students say.  Janelle Baker, 17, a Bogota High School junior has wanted to drive a car for a while so he can get to his job at Rite Aid on time.  Instead, his 19-year-old sister drives him around.  He’s still tempted to get his provisional license, however.  “I don’t have a permit, but I need a car.  But it’s (driver training) too expensive,” he said. 

Fast Facts:  Graduated Driver’s License Law 

Current GDL:

• Sixteen-year-olds get special permits that allow them to drive only if they have an adult in the car. 
• Seventeen-year-olds can get provisional licenses that restrict their driving hours and how many passengers they carry.  Drivers can’t drive between 12:01 AM and 5 AM and can have only one passenger from outside their household.
• Cell phones and other electronic devices are not allowed to be used.
• A basic driver’s license is issued at 18.

Old Law:

• Sixteen-year-olds could get special permits that allow them to drive only if they have an adult in the car.
• Seventeen-year-olds could obtain full driving privileges.

Can You Name the Top Driving Mistakes
 that Cause Crashes? 

Do you think you can name the leading driving mistakes that cause crashes?  According to statistics from GMAC Insurance, they are the following: 

1. Multi-tasking while driving – Reminder to all drivers, that after they turn the car on, they need to turn all their gadgets off.

2. Following too closely – Drivers need to leave a two-second to three-seconds of cushion between their vehicle and the vehicle ahead.

3. Failure to yield on a left-hand turn – Drivers need to remember to “check the flow before you go” and to check the street that they’re turning into to make sure there are no vehicles or pedestrians in their path.

4. Incorrect merging – Accidents often occur when someone is stuck behind a driver who interprets yield as stop.  Ramps should be used as a means for merging into traffic

5. Backing up – Drivers need to look over their shoulder because mirrors have a margin of error.

Toyota Recalls Floor Mats After Complaints About Them Sticking Underneath Gas Pedals 

            Customer complaints about floor mats getting caught underneath the accelerator pedal and causing unintended acceleration have prompted Toyota to recall floor mats from 55,000 Camry and Lexus ES 350 models. 

            The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also has advised owners of other Toyota models to make sure their floor mats are properly installed.  A NHTSA spokesman told the Detroit Free that the agency has also received complaints about the problem from owners of the RAV 4 and Tacoma.  Owners of the recalled mats will be notified and offered replacement mats.  The recall involves 30,500 mats for the ES 350 and 24,500 mats for the 2007 and 2008 Toyota Camry.

 TARGETED PARKING ENFORCEMENT  **(DAILY)** 

Illegal Stopping/Standing along Route 520 and Longbridge Road for Cross Farm Park. 

Illegal Parking at Cross Farm Park 

Illegal Parking at Holmdel High School 

Illegal Parking at Saint John Vianney High School 

 PROVISIONAL DRIVER LICENSE VIOLATIONS  **(DAILY)** 

Saint John Vianney High School 

Holmdel High School

NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON

Important information that could save a life 

            I wonder how many people know about this.  A 36 year old female from Kilgore, Texas had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car.  She was traveling between Gladewater & Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!             

          When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON.  She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain.
 
            The highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane, and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.  She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.  

            The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning.  We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive at a safe speed - but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry.  

            The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.  

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

SAFE BICYCLE RIDING IN NEW JERSEY

A Bicycle is not a toy, it’s a vehicle.

Each year, bicyclists are killed or injured in New Jersey due to bicycle crashes.  Many bicycle deaths result from bicycle-motor vehicle collisions.  However, injuries can happen anywhere, including parks, bike paths and driveways, and often do not involve motor vehicles. 

Head injury is the most serious injury type and the most common cause of death among bicyclists.  The most severe injuries are those to the brain that cause permanent damage. 

You can stop these tragedies by following the simple bicycle safety tips in this brochure.  Make sure you follow all of the tips in this brochure every time you ride, and you’ll be on your way to safe and enjoyable bicycle riding. 

Wear a helmet – it’s the law.

Never ride a bicycle without a helmet.  Effective March 1, 2006, New Jersey law states that anyone under the age of seventeen (17) riding a bike, even as a passenger, must be wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet which meets the standards of the Snell Memorial Foundation, the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

A child who violates this law will be warned of the violation by the enforcing official.  The parent or legal guardian of the person also may be fined up to $25 for the first offense and up to $100 for a subsequent offense. 

Bicycle helmets should be used by everyone who rides, as helmets have been shown to reduce head injuries by 85 percent. 

For children, use the extra padding that comes with the helmet to ensure a proper fit. 

Bicycles should be seen and heard.

Wear clothes that make you more visible.  Wearing neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding helps people to see you. 

New Jersey law requires that all bicycles be equipped with a horn or bell.  Use this equipment to alert drivers and pedestrians of your presence. 

Avoid biking at night.

It is far more dangerous to bicycle at night than during the day.  Most bicycles are equipped for daylight use and need to be adapted for nighttime use.

 FOR TEENAGERS, THE CAR IS THE DANGER ZONE 

Parents of teenagers worry about lots of things: drugs, sex, poor choices of friends.  But the activity that causes the most harm to older teenagers is none of the above. 

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 16- to 20-year-olds, with about 5,500 teenage drivers or passengers dying each year.  In addition, about 450,000 teenagers are injured, 27,000 of them requiring hospitalization. 

Of those who are killed, 63 percent are drivers and 37 percent are passengers, with boys accounting for two-thirds of the fatalities.  Although teenagers represent only 6 percent of drivers, they are involved in 14 percent of fatal crashes.  And the crash rate among the youngest drivers – 35 crashes per million miles driven by 16-year-olds – is nearly nine times the rate of the general population. 

To reduce the risks, the academy recommends that parents have teenagers sign a “driving contract” that covers when the teenager can use the car and who can be in it.  It should have a provision, the academy says, that driving privileges will be revoked if the contract is violated. 

Although factors like alcohol, drugs and distractions like the stereo naturally come to mind, the single biggest reason for both fatal and nonfatal crashes involving teenage drivers is inexperience.   

Traditional driver education programs, which offer 30 hours of classroom instruction but only 6 hours of on-the-road training, “are not effective in creating safe drivers and decreasing crash risk,” according to the academy’s review of research.  “In fact, some studies show that high school driver education programs encourage early licensure of the youngest, most dangerous drivers, with resulting increased crashes, injuries and deaths.” 

Of course, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, are prominent factors in crashes involving teenagers.  Though teenagers drink and drive less often than adults, they are more likely to crash when they do drink, especially at low and moderate blood-alcohol levels.  

Studies have shown that marijuana impairs driving performance, especially when it is combined with alcohol.  Legal drugs like antihistamines and sedatives also interfere with driving skills – again, especially when combined with alcohol.  A 50-milligram dose of the antihistamine Benadryl has a greater effect on driving performance than a blood-alcohol level of 0.01 percent, one study has shown.  

Distractions inside the vehicle contribute to accidents for both teenage and adult drivers.  But distractions are a more serious problem for novice drivers because they tend to look away from the road for longer periods and may then drift out of their lane or fail to respond in time to a hazard.  Another distraction is the use of cell phones; furthermore, hands-free cell phones have not reduced the risk of accidents. 

Also, hands-free cell phones have not reduced the risk significantly, the academy said. 

Teenagers also tend to be greater risk-takers.  They are much less likely than adults to use safety belts, especially when driving with other teenagers.  And their use of belts is least likely in the most dangerous of conditions: when driving at night, under the influence of alcohol or with several teenage passengers.  In crashes that occurred in 2004, 58 percent of the teenage occupants who were killed were not wearing a seat belt. 

Nearly all states have so-called graduated licensing laws, some of which significantly increase the number of supervised hours of driving by teenagers while they are learning.  These laws force a new driver to pass three stages: a learner’s permit, an intermediate or provisional stage and finally a regular driver’s license.  For each stage, there are restrictions and minimum time requirements, and proficiency in driving skills must be demonstrated before the teenager can graduate to the next stage. 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that in the 23 states (as well as the District of Columbia) with the best licensing laws, fatal crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 17 declined by 19 percent since those laws started taking effect in the mid-1990s.  States with weaker laws experienced no benefit, the institute says.  Even in states that have not adopted all the elements of graduated licensing, restrictions involving night driving and the number of teenage passengers have been found to improve driving safety. 

But laws are only as good as their enforcement, which is often lax.  Thus, parents are likely to have the greatest say in how safe their teenage drivers are.  One consideration is the vehicle itself.  Rather than giving teenagers a small, old car that is less crashworthy and lacks modern safety features, or an S.U.V. that can overturn easily, or a sports car that encourages fast driving, parents should think of safety first in selecting their teenager’s vehicle. 

In the driver contract the academy suggests, teenagers must promise to obey all traffic laws and speed limits; drive only when free of alcohol and drugs and never allow these substances in the car; always wear a seat belt and insist that their passengers do too; never eat, drink or use a cell phone while driving; drive only when alert and emotionally controlled; and drive with both hands on the wheel.  Parents can add restrictions on night driving, the number of teenage passengers, driving in bad weather and adjusting the stereo while driving.   

The contract should also include specific penalties for violations: “No driving for __weeks/months” If the teenager violated the restrictions on night driving or number of passengers, failed to use safety belts, or got a ticket for speeding or some other moving violation. 

The academy recommends strict restrictions for the first six months, including a ban on teenage passengers and no diving after 9 p.m., for example, then gradual relaxation of restrictions if the teenager continues to demonstrate the ability to drive without committing a moving violation or getting into an accident.

BE CAREFUL AND WORK SAFELY AROUND DOWNED ELECTRICAL WIRES

 Many of the recent storms that we’ve had in our area lately have resulted in downed electrical wires in roadways and on private property.  Remember, hazards multiply for workers and residents involved in cleanup and recovery efforts following all major disasters and weather emergencies.  One particular life-threatening danger exits around downed and low-hanging electrical wires. 

Safety First

Above all else, always consider all equipment, lines and conductors to be energized.  Be cautious and if you notice downed wires or damaged electrical equipment, contact appropriate utility personnel.  Remember that circuits do not always turn off when a power line falls into a tree or onto the ground.  Even if they are not sparking or humming, fallen power lines can kill you if you touch them or even the ground nearby. 

Energy

Downed wires can energize other objects, including fences, water pipes, bushes and trees, buildings, telephone/CATV/fiber optic cables and other electric utilities.  Even manhole castings and reinforcement bars (re/bar) in pavement can become energized by downed wires.  During storms, wind-blown objects such as canopies, aluminum roofs, siding, sheds, etc., can also be energized by downed wires. 

Backfeed

When electrical conductors are inadvertently energized by other energy sources, backfeed occurs.  Some of those sources include:

Ø      Circuit ties/switch points

Ø      Lightning

Ø      Generators

Ø      Downstream events

 Simply testing for energy sources is not sufficient since hazardous electrical events can happen without warning.  Ensure that proper lockout/tagout procedures are always followed. 

 Rules to Live By

Ø      Do NOT assume that a downed conductor is safe simply because it is on the ground or it is not sparking.

Ø      Do NOT assume that all coated, weatherproof or insulated wire is just telephone, television or fiber-optic cable.

Ø      Low-hanging wires still have voltage potential even if they are not touching the ground.  So, “don’t touch them.” Everything is energized until tested to be de-energized.

Ø      NEVER go near a downed or fallen electric power line.  Always assume that it is energized.  Touching it could be fatal.

Ø      Electricity can spread outward through the ground in a circular shape from the point of contact.  As you move away from the center, large differences in voltages can be created. 

Ø     NEVER drive over downed power lines.  Assume that they are energized.  And, even if they are not, downed lines can become entangled in your equipment or vehicle.

Ø      If contact is made with an energized power line while you are in a vehicle, remain calm and do not get out unless the vehicle is on fire.  If possible, call for help.

Ø      If you must exit any equipment because of fire or other safety reasons, try to jump completely clear, making sure that you do not touch the equipment and the ground at the same time.  Land with both feet together and shuffle away in small steps to minimize the path of electric current and avoid electrical shock.  Be careful to maintain your balance.

MONOC CHILD SAFETY SEAT FITTING STATIONS

 MONMOUTH COUNTY

1.      Marlboro First Aid

     Wincrest Road, Marlboro, NJ 07746

     EVERY 3^RD WEDNESDAY OF MONTH 10 AM – 2 PM

 2.      Galaxy Toyota

     Route 36, Eatontown, NJ 07724

     EVERY 3^RD SATURDAY OF MONTH 8:30 AM – 12 PM

 3.      Holmdel EMS

     13 Centerville Rd., Holmdel, NJ 07733

     EVERY 4^TH WEDNESDAY OF MONTH 10 AM – 2 PM

OCEAN COUNTY

 4.      Herbertsville Fire House Annex (MONOC post 5)

     1160 Burnt Tavern Road, Brick, NJ 08742

     EVERY 2^ND TUESDAY OF MONTH, 10 AM – 2 PM

5.      Pleasant Plains 1^st Aid

     40 Clayton Rd., Toms River, NJ 08755

     EVERY 3^RD TUESDAY OF MONTH 10 AM – 2 PM

6.      Stafford 1^st aid (Ocean Acres Building)

     340 Nautilus Drive, Manahawkin, NJ 08050

     EVERY 4^TH MONDAY OF MONTH 10 AM – 2 PM

 Fitting Stations are by appointment only,

Please call 800-287-3515 Extension 1107 for an appointment.

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PROVISIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSE PROGRAM