By: Richard L. Smith
With thousands of students returning to classrooms, law enforcement officials in Atlantic County are stepping up traffic enforcement and urging motorists to use extra caution around schools, buses and children.
According to a statement released by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, authorities have launched a Back to School Safety Initiative in partnership with the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Atlantic–Cape May Region.
The campaign will focus on school zones during busy arrival and dismissal periods, particularly between 7 and 9 a.m. and again from 3 to 5 p.m.
Officials are reminding motorists to reduce their speed, avoid cellphone use and other distractions, watch carefully for children at crosswalks and bus stops, and obey school bus signals.
The initiative follows a summer of increased traffic enforcement across Atlantic County.
Through the CARE Task Force, officers conducted 10 enforcement and outreach operations between April and August, resulting in 978 traffic stops, 657 summonses, seven vehicles being towed and two DUI arrests.
Authorities said enforcement efforts targeted dangerous driving behaviors including speeding, distracted driving and illegally passing school buses.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said the return to school places thousands of children on streets, sidewalks and at bus stops, making motorists’ decisions behind the wheel especially important.
Atlantic County Sheriff Joseph “Tokyo” O’Donoghue also urged drivers to slow down, put their phones away and remain alert as school buses, pedestrians and young drivers return to area roadways.
The fall initiative will include increased school-zone patrols, targeted enforcement during peak hours, public service announcements, social media safety messages and continued CARE Task Force operations.
Officials are also reminding students to use designated crosswalks, follow crossing guards, remain visible to drivers and avoid using phones or earbuds while crossing streets.
Authorities said the overall goal is simple: reduce preventable crashes and make sure students arrive at school and return home safely.