The NJ Police Chief Magazine - Volume 30, Number 5 FEB 2024 MAG | Page 32

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | February 2024
Continued from previous page The goal of “ Zero Traffic Fatalities ” will not be met without the collective efforts of all . Together we should strive to ensure that not a single family in New Jersey has to say goodbye to a loved one because of a traffic crash . While some agencies are positioned to do more , all could employ one or more of the following strategies to join in this endeavor :
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Get real time actionable crash data by connecting to the NJCrash portal or
electronically transfer your crash reports to the NJ DOT via your RMS vendor .
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Conduct meaningful community engagement to garner your community input
and support to legitimize traffic safety operations .
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Create a written traffic safety operations plan utilizing the SAFE System approach .
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Safe Road Users
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Safe Vehicles
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Safe Speed
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Safe Roads
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Post-Crash Care
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Establish Speeding , Impaired Driving , Seatbelt and Distracted Driving as enforcement priorities in your
agency .
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Utilize the NHTSA and NJ DHTS campaign calendar to sync your efforts with state and national media
coverage : https :// www . trafficsafetymarketing . gov / communication-calendars
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Partner with The Division of Highway Traffic Safety . The DHTS awards approximately $ 30 million in grant
funding to police agencies to address priority safety issues . These funds play a crucial role in implementing
initiatives to improve road safety and reduce fatalities .
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Control the narrative , it ’ s almost always “ not an accident ”; Craft press releases and social media campaigns
that illuminate the vicitimization of those involved in preventable crashes .
While the decrease in traffic deaths in 2023 is a positive development , a sustained and purposeful effort is essential to improving road safety , protecting vulnerable road users , and reducing the number of crashes and fatalities on our roadways . Join us on the journey to zero roadway deaths by prioritizing : community engagement , education , purposeful enforcement , engineering measures and post-crash care as they will remain the key elements in combating these challenges and creating safer roadways for all .
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