CAMDEN, N.J. – The Delaware River Port Authority once again will join a national effort to promote safe driving and keep roadways free of fatalities for one day: Thursday, Oct. 10.

In support of “Put The Brakes On Fatalities Day,” the DRPA will program variable message signs at the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges with the reminder, “Oct. 10: Be Safe, Be Alert, Arrive Home Alive.”

“The ‘Put the Brakes on Fatalities’ campaign asks drivers to take particular care on one day to buckle up, avoid distractions, observe the speed limit and stay sober,” said DRPA Chief of Police John L. Stief. “We’re hoping one day’s effort becomes a 364-day habit.”

Last year in New Jersey, 589 people died in motor vehicle crashes, down from 627 in 2011. The recent decline continues a longer term downward trend in motor vehicle fatalities. In 2010, New Jersey recorded the lowest number of motor vehicle deaths since the 1940s.

The National Society of Professional Engineers launched “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day” in 2001 to unite the country in moving toward zero fatalities for one full day by encouraging motorists to buckle up, drive the posted speed limit, avoid distractions and remain sober behind the wheel. Since 2006, the event has been overseen by the Transportation & Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Additional information about “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day” is available by logging on to www.brakesonfatalities.org .

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The Delaware River Port Authority is a regional transportation agency that connects millions of people and businesses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The DRPA owns and operates the PATCO commuter rail line and the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross toll bridges. The DRPA also owns the RiverLink Ferry. For more information, please visit our website: www.drpa.org or follow us on Twitter: @DRPA_PaandNJ.