239 Drivers Ticketed In Monmouth Route 35 Safe Driving Campaign

HOLMDEL, NJ — The Goal: Zero safe driving enforcement campaign last week really hit home for some drivers - 239 to be exact - who were ticketed for various infractions, Holmdel police reported Tuesday.

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.

Holmdel Police Department's Patrolman Matthew Menosky originated the idea of a multi-jurisdiction day of enforcement on the roads. The "Goal: Zero" means zero deaths, zero injuries, zero crashes.

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

On March 27, between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., 45 officers from 14 agencies were patrolling 30 miles of Route 35 from Brielle to Aberdeen as part of Goal: Zero.

Here's the result:

• 360 vehicles were stopped.
• 239 summonses were issued.
• Three people were arrested.

One of the arrests was for DWI (driving while intoxicated), police said.

Summonses included the following: 20 cell phone violations, 16 careless driving, five speeding tickets, seven seat belt violations, and 10 suspended licenses.

"Staying alert while driving is important for your own safety, but it is also important for the safety of other people," Holmdel police said, adding the increased, high-visibility enforcement of Goal: Zero is a way to get drivers to pay attention and slow down.