Cutting Down The Carnage: Police Departments' Partnership Aims To Reduce Accidents On Route 539

Three people died late last summer on a stretch of Route 539 in Little Egg Harbor.

It's a tragedy Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato doesn't want to see repeated this year. So he has reactivated the County Road 539 Safety Enforcement Initiative, which will run from Thursday, July 20 through Sunday, Aug. 6.

“With the increased summer traffic volume I don’t want to see a repeat of that tragedy," he said. The many partners involved in past efforts are being brought together again to serve as a visible reminder that the responsibility of driving safety never ends."

Law enforcement agencies participated in a similar crackdown last summer, after an alarming number of accidents on the roadway.

Increased patrols from seven police departments will focus on 38 miles of roadway through Tuckerton, Little Egg Harbor, Stafford, Barnegat, Lacey, Manchester, Plumsted and Jackson, Coronato said.

"This two-lane highway runs southeast to northwest through Ocean County and is frequently used by local seniors, commuters traveling to the Trenton area, tourists looking to vacation along the Jersey Shore and a large amount of commercial trucks," he said.

The partnership is the result of extensive meetings called for by Prosecutor Coronato with local police chiefs, county officers/officials, NJ State Police and the Ocean County Road/Engineering Departments to address CR539 safety issues. Beyond the enforcement element, the initiative includes Engineering and Education elements that will continue into the future.

The following law enforcement agencies are participating:

Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office

Ocean County Sheriff’s Department

NJ State Police Troop “C” – Red Lion and Tuckerton Stations

NJ State Police Troop “C” – Tactical Patrol Unit

NJ State Police – Transportation Safety Bureau

Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Ocean County Road Department

Ocean County Engineering Department

Barnegat Police Department

Jackson Police Department

Lacey Police Department

Little Egg Harbor Police Department

Manchester Police Department

Plumsted Police Department

Stafford Police Department

Tuckerton Police Department

Police will be looking for improper passing, excessive speed, driving under the influence, aggressive driving, improper turning, failing to yield, inattentive driving, disregarding traffic signals and tailgating, Coronato said.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office will also use unmarked police cruisers to report aggressive or erratic driving to marked patrol vehicles, equipped with automatic license plate readers. Variable message signs will also be placed along the roadway.

The engineering improvements include:

Rumble strips: Reduces centerline crossover motor vehicle accidents often caused by sleepy motorists or those traveling at excessive speeds.

Raised pavement markers: These markers are fairly common on roadways today and are designed to increase nighttime visibility. They are typically placed along the center lines of a roadway and reflect the light from a motor vehicle’s headlights to outline the lanes of a highway in rural areas.

All-weather reflective striping: Makes the lines on a roadway easier to see at night (like a cat’s eyes), particularly in bad weather conditions.

Radar-activated LED (light-emitting diode) chevron signs placed in clusters at curves and will light up in a synchronous pattern when a motor vehicle approaches to outline the sharpness of the curve.

High-friction road surface designed to prevent a vehicle from skidding when its driver attempts to stop suddenly from a high rate of speed.

Photo: Courtesy of Ocean County Prosecutor's Office