The New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety have announced a new initiative which encourages state residents to report dangerous drivers.
Responding to an 8 percent increase in New Jersey traffic deaths in 2016, largely attributed to the increasing epidemic of distracted driving, the initiative will rebrand the state’s #77 alert system, currently used to report aggressive driving.
The #77 alert system will now be used to report all forms of dangerous driving, including operating a vehicle while looking at a cell phone and driving while impaired.
Enforcement will be increased on the roads, and in an initiative believed to be one of the first of its kind in the nation, warning letters will be directed to those spotted driving while distracted.
“By employing #77 to fight distracted driving, we are giving everyone in New Jersey a role in making our roadways safer,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
“Motorists and pedestrians can and should be our eyes on the road, helping to protect their neighbors and friends and perhaps changing attitudes as well.”
The current #77 system allows people who witness aggressive driving to call and report it. The calls are answered in the call room of the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center in West Trenton. The calls are forwarded to the local police agency with jurisdiction which in certain circumstances can respond to the call and, if the behavior is witnessed, issue a summons.
Under the new system, those who witness dangerous driving of all types will now be able to call #77. Additionally, if the license plate of the alleged dangerous driver is gathered, a letter detailing the time and place of the observed offense may be sent to the vehicle owner’s home.
“We believe this will serve as a deterrent to future offenses,” said Attorney General Christopher Porrino. “And if, for instance, it is a teen driver operating a parent’s vehicle, the letter may serve as a teaching tool, hopefully spurring better driving habits in the future.”
It is made clear that those who spot distracted drivers should not use their own phone while driving to report the behavior of others. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety is urging drivers to either pull over in order to make the call, use a hands-free device or have a passenger in the vehicle make the call. Pedestrians may call #77 as well.
Road signage along the state’s major highways will be changed to note the new initiative and digital signage will also tout the effort. A public awareness campaign, including radio spots and advertisements on buses and billboards, will begin in April.
The new #77 initiative runs parallel with the state’s 2017 distracted driving crackdown, called “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” As part of that campaign, more than 190 police agencies throughout New Jersey have received a total of $1,204,500 in federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants to help with enforcement efforts. That program runs from April 1 through April 21.
