Parsippany Police Say 'Put the Brakes on Fatalities'

If you drive a motor vehicle, the Parsippany Police Department has a challenge for you: Make sure no one dies in a traffic accident on Oct. 10. That's the day designated as Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.

The event, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is an effort started in Kansas that is now held across the country under the management of the Transportation & Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Its goal is seemingly simple: Get through an entire day with zero traffic-related deaths. 

Parsippany Police is participating in the event in order to promote the idea that motorists bear individual responsibility for their driving behaviors on Oct. 10 and every day.

Department spokesperson Ptlm. Earl Kinsey said in a statement that there is good news to report.

"Last year in New Jersey, 556 individuals lost their lives in motor vehicle related crashes, down from 583 in 2009," he said. "The decline continues a four-year downward trend in motor-vehicle fatalities and marks the lowest number of recorded motor-vehicle deaths in the state since the 1940s."

Police say motorists can bring down the number of traffic-related fatalities even further by following the speed limit and applicable traffic laws, avoiding distractions while driving and always being safe and sober behind the wheel. 

More information on Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is available at the event website.