Traffic Deaths Spark Rt. 35 Safety Campaign In 14 Monmouth Towns

HOLMDEL, NJ — A 24 percent increase so far this year in traffic fatalities in New Jersey is the impetus behind Goal: Zero, a regional safe driving enforcement campaign that was initiated in the Holmdel Police Department.

The increased, high-visibility enforcement of Goal: Zero is a way to get drivers to pay attention and slow down - and ultimately to have Zero Deaths, Zero Injuries, and Zero Crashes, the Holmdel department says.

And the idea for Goal: Zero, which involves multiple departments, originated in Holmdel.

It was started by Holmdel’s Patrolman Matthew Menosky as a way to "bring awareness to the dangers of distracted and impaired driving," said Police Chief Frank Allocco.

"Patrolman Menosky did a fantastic job of bringing multiple law enforcement agencies together for the county-wide joint traffic enforcement" last month on Route 34, Allocco said.

This Wednesday is the next Goal: Zero high-visibility, county-wide enforcement detail.

It is planned for March 27, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Route 35 from the southern tip of the county to the northern tip, police said.

The enforcement will include 14 agencies: Aberdeen, Keyport, Hazlet, Holmdel, Middletown, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Eatontown, Ocean, Neptune, Neptune City, Belmar, Wall and Brielle. This cooperative enforcement will cover all of Route 35 in Monmouth County - about 30 miles.

The intent of this high-visibility campaign is to confront the "staggering" rise in traffic deaths New Jersey has seen, Holmdel police say.

"To have other agencies join the effort to combat distracted driving shows how much the safety of our communities means to the officers," Allocco said.

He said that this year New Jersey has already seen 125 motor vehicle crashes and 130 fatalities - a more than 24 percent increase over the same period last year.

"The campaign brings attention to the crash statistics and emphasizes the importance of staying alert while driving, which is about the safety of the driver, their occupants, pedestrians, and other motorists. The goal is to slow drivers and reduce fatalities," Allocco said. The department said 14 of these deaths have happened in Monmouth County.

On Feb. 21, after four hours of enforcement on Highway 34 in a past Goal: Zero effort, 221 vehicles were stopped, and 125 summonses were issued by 26 participating officers that covered approximately 25 miles of Highway 34 in Monmouth County, Holmdel police said.

The summonses included 24 speeding violations, 18 cell phone violations, and nine careless driving summonses. The seven towns that participated then included Wall, Howell, Colts Neck, Holmdel, Marlboro, Aberdeen and Matawan.

"The program has been well received by other towns and has gotten positive feedback from others at County Chiefs and Traffic Safety meetings," Allocco said.

He said that because of the success of the Route 34 enforcement, Menosky has included more of Monmouth County for the Route 35 enforcement next Wednesday.

"The department is excited to collaborate with additional towns and soon hopes to make it a statewide effort to reduce motor vehicle related crashes, injuries, and fatalities," Allocco said.