Traffic Safety
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Traffic Safety |
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Introduction
The traffic safety division's objective is to enhance the safe and expeditious movement of traffic throughout the County. This is achieved by way of the many avenues in traffic safety, which include engineering, education, and enforcement. Officers assigned to this unit are versed in all aspects of traffic safety, and serve as advisors on numerous highway safety committees throughout the State, which include the new Jersey State Traffic Officers Association (serving as regional representative for Bergen County), Bergen County traffic Officers Association (serving as regional vice-president), Bergen County Highway Safety Advisory Committee, Bergen County Fatal Accident Review Board and as traffic safety advisors for numerous charitable organizations which host events throughout the County (i.e., American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, Special Olympics).
Commercial Vehicle Inspection
Since 1971 (State vs. Horn) the County Police have been vested with the authority to enforce overweight vehicle violations and is the primary agency for enforcement of these statutes within the County. The traffic unit regularly assists municipal police agencies with selective commercial vehicle inspection details and as a result have removed numerous unsafe commercial vehicles from our highways. In the event of a serious or fatal motor vehicle accident the unit responds to weigh and inspect the involved vehicles.
Vehicle Calibrations
Each month the traffic unit calibrates the speedometers of more than 100 municipal and county police vehicles utilizing the dynamometer in the County Police garage.
Driver Training Programs
A driver safety program was established in 1986 in conjunction with the Municipal Joint Insurance Fund to provide a comprehensive defensive driving program for municipal employees. Subsequently the County Police have vastly increased their driver training programs to include driver training for Vocational School students, charitable organizations (i.e., New Concepts for Living), Tactical Police Driving for municipal police officers and a commercial driver license course. Also in response to an inordinate number of motor vehicle fatalities involving senior citizens, an Older Driver Safety Program was developed and attended by more than a thousand senior citizens throughout the County. Additionally, the traffic unit is responsible for keeping statistics involving motor vehicle fatalities and collating fatal accident reports.
County Roads
The traffic unit conducts speed surveys along the 462 miles of county roads as requested by municipalities through the Bergen County Engineer's Office. In response to the local authorities concerns for traffic safety and in conjunction with the municipal police the unit provides a radar trailer, which displays the motorists speed and/or a variable message sign to advise motorists to conform to traffic laws. Subsequently, selective enforcement details are conducted along these roadways.
Construction Zones
The officers assigned to the traffic unit are certified in work zone safety and attend all preconstruction meetings involving highway construction projects within the County and monitor these work zones to ensure compliance of the traffic control plan.
Traffic Incident Management
The County Police served as the lead agency in the development of the Bergen County Traffic Incident Management Plan, which is the coordinated effort of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association, Bergen County Traffic Officers Association and the New Jersey Department of Transportation. This plan is a comprehensive manual of diversion routes for every state highway in the county and is the model being utilized throughout the State. The design of this plan is to reduce congestion through improved communications and efficient use of available resources. The County Police respond to all incidents to improve the efficiency of the transportation network so as to alleviate congestion, reduce fuel consumption and pollution, effectively reduce congestion related delays, enhance motorist safety, and amplify overall mobility such that the productivity and economic competitiveness of the County of Bergen are accentuated.
The traffic safety unit supplements the patrol division to increase the safe and expeditious movement of traffic and improve the quality of life in the County of Bergen.
Services Provided
The following enforcement services are available. We will gladly team-up with local officers in conduction these operations:
Roadside commercial vehicle inspection (Performed by officers who are certified commercial vehicle inspectors.) Overweight vehicle enforcement. Selective enforcement operations. The following accident investigation support services are available:
Commercial vehicle inspection (Officers who are certified commercial vehicle inspectors will inspect all mechanical systems to identify causative factors.) Weighing of involved vehicles (Accurate vehicle weight must be known to compute speed in reconstructing an accident.) The following support services are available:
Commercial vehicle inspection (Annual safety inspections are performed on municipal owned trucks.) Monthly calibration of police vehicle speedometers. Who to Call
Call Bergen County Police headquarters: 646-2700
PO Charles R. Lekowski, Systems Administrator and Webmaster
Copyright © 1998-2003 Bergen County Police Department. All rights reserved.
Revised: February 20, 2003
