Free 'Drive 25' Signs at Hazlet Police Dept.

Looking for a way to slow down traffic on your block? Hazlet Police are distributing "Drive with Care" and "Drive 25" signs with metal stands that can be posted in the grass, neara the curb, during the daytime hours. 

Lt. Stephen Schmidt said the signs were donated by Colts Neck High School students last year. He has about 60 in stock and will distribute them to anyone who comes in to ask. 

Schmidt directed the Traffic Safety Dept. at Hazlet PD for 16 years, until the official office was dissolved during cutbacks. 

In his experience, he says these kind of signs are preferable to unapproved safety cones or sandwich boards parents place on the road when kids play.

"I don't prefer objects in the street," he said. These signs work because they are noticed by everyday drivers. "Fixed objects tend to blend in with the surroundings," he said. "These are meant to be taken in at night." 

Schmidt said most crashes in Hazlet are not related to speed. It is due to "Iiattentiveness," he said.

"With cellphones, texting, radios, people are not paying attention when they are driving," he said.