Enforcement to be increased

FREEHOLD - Police officers are participating in an effort to reduce, and hopefully eliminate, motor vehicle fatalities in town - at least for one day.

"Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day," scheduled to be held Oct. 10, is being sponsored by the state Department of Law and Public Safety Division of Highway Traffic Safety. According to Freehold Borough Traffic Safety Officer Patrolman Sean Healey, the borough police department is in strong support of this initiative.

"We are being proactive and will be highly visible on Oct. 10 in order to enforce all motor vehicle violations including, but not limited to, the use of seat belts, the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle, and monitoring those people [17-yearolds] with provisional driver's licenses," Healey said. "Our goal in the borough is to increase the overall safety of our roads."

Healey said being proactive and enforcing motor vehicle laws will hopefully curtail any potential accidents.

According to material received by Healey from the Department of Law and Public Safety Division of Highway Traffic Safety, 40,000 motor vehicle fatalities occur annually across the country. Last year 772 people died in New Jersey.

The goal of the program, according to the material, is to "unite the country in achieving one full day of zero traffic deaths by encouraging safer behavior and actions and by promoting safer roads." It is also to encourage the public to take a greater stand in keeping themselves and their loved ones from becoming a statistic.

- Clare Marie Celano