Don’t get caught texting while driving through these small NJ towns

If last year is any indication, police in some of New Jersey's smallest municipalities will be giving out the largest number of distracted driving tickets during the month-long crackdown that ends April 21.

Police in Milltown, just 1.5 square miles, gave out 130 tickets for cellphone use during last year's April campaign, more than any other big town or city in Middlesex County.

The most tickets handed out in Bergen County was in Fairview, which can be driven through in less than three minutes. Cops there managed to issue 114 distracted-driving tickets in less than a month.

You can find the top distracted-driving ticket municipality for each county in the list below. We also include how many tickets police in other towns issued. Not all municipalities participated in the "U Drive. U Text. U Pay" campaign.

Last year the program ran from April 1 through April 21 and statewide there were 6,687 citations for cell phone use and texting, according to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

Among the leaders in finding these distracted drivers was the State Police. Troop C had the most out of any agency, with 346, while Troop D had 252.

Union Township in Union County had the most from a single municipality with 162, while Salem Township led the county with one citation.

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2016 distracted-driving violations by county

Total violations issued for distracted driving/cellphone by police departments and agencies participating in last year's April crackdown.

Atlantic
Egg Harbor Township: 57 tickets
Absecon 4
Brigantine 9
Buena 1
Galloway 2
Hamilton 10
Margate 5
Mullica 2
Pleasantville 13
Stockton University 10
Somers Point 19
Ventnor 4
Bergen
Fairview: 114 tickets
Allendale 2
Alpine 2
Carlstadt 19
Demarest 5
Glen Rock 1
Hackensack 4
Hasbrouck Heights 13
Haworth 5
Leonia 4
Lyndhurst 19
Midland Park 4
North Arlington 19
Northvale 9
Norwood 2
Ramsey 1
River Vale 1
Upper Saddle River 19
Westwood 9
Wood-Ridge 4
Burlington
Burlington City: 41 tickets
Bordentown 6
Burlington Twp 20
Delanco 1
Delran 30
Eastampton 1
Edgewater Park 3
Florence 1
Lumberton 3
Maple Shade 6
Medford Lakes 4
Medford 3
Moorestown 5
Mount Holly 13
Mount Laurel 40
New Hanover 2
Riverside 4
Riverton 6
Westampton 25
Willingboro 8
Camden
Winslow: 132 tickets
Barrington: 6
Berlin: 9
Camden County Metro: 10
Cherry Hill: 16
Gibbsboro: 27
Gloucester: 2
Gloucester Twp: 74
Haddon Heights: 3
Haddon Twp: 5
Hi-Nella: 4
Laurel Springs: 1
Lindenwold: 4
Mount Ephraim: 5
Pennsauken: 23
Pine Hill: 41
Stratford: 40
Voorhees: 7
Waterford: 43
Woodlynne: 47
Cape May
Wildwood: 29 tickets
Avalon: 5
Lower: 6
North Wildwood: 25
Ocean City: 8
Sea Isle City: 17
West Wildwood: 2
Wildwood Crest: 4
Cumberland
Vineland: 72 tickets
Millville: 1
Essex
Fairfield: 78 tickets
Belleville 1
Bloomfield 14
Caldwell 5
Cedar Grove 20
Essex County Sheriff 48
Essex Fells 12
Glen Ridge 11
Irvington 21
Maplewood 5
Millburn 43
Montclair 12
Montclair State University 8
Nutley 37
Orange 5
Verona 8
West Orange 24
Gloucester
Washington Twp: 46 tickets
Clayton 1
Glassboro 15
Greenwich 3
Logan 5
Mantua 22
Monroe 1
Pitman 33
Rowan University 2
Wenonah 1
West Deptford 10
Westville 1
Woodbury 38
Hudson
North Bergen: 83 tickets
Bayonne 39
East Newark 3
Guttenberg 12
Harrison 3
Hoboken 9
Hudson County Sheriff 28
Jersey City 39
Kearny 9
Secaucus 3
West New York 31
Hunterdon
Flemington: 4 tickets
Raritan: 4 tickets
Clinton Twp 3
Frenchtown 2
West Amwell 2
Mercer
Lawrence: 64 tickets
East Windsor 4
Ewing 57
Hopewell 4
Princeton 16
Middlesex
Milltown: 130 tickets
Carteret 1
East Brunswick 32
Edison 85
Jamesburg 11
Metuchen 15
Middlesex 4
New Brunswick 36
North Brunswick 49
Old Bridge 14
Piscataway 30
Rutgers University 12
Sayreville 44
South Brunswick 21
South River 8
Spotswood 25
Woodbridge 48
Monmouth
Eatontown: 79 tickets
Aberdeen 64
Atlantic Highlands 8
Bradley Beach 29
Brielle 27
Deal 23
Freehold 24
Hazlet 8
Highlands 29
Holmdel 46
Howell 7
Keansburg 2
Marlboro 30
Neptune 5
Rumson 0 3
Tinton Falls 4
Union Beach 4
Wall 22
Morris
Wharton: 36 tickets
Morris County Park Police: 36 tickets
Boonton 13
Chatham 23
Chatham Twp 1
Chester 8
Chester Twp 1
Denville 2
Dover 11
East Hanover 5
Florham Park 27
Hanover 17
Harding 9
Jefferson 20
Kinnelon 3
Lincoln Park 10
Long Hill 4
Madison 10
Mendham Twp 8
Montville 4
Morristown 23
Mount Arlington 1
Mount Olive 25
Netcong 1
Parsippany-Troy Hills 23
Pequannock 4
Riverdale 4
Rockaway 2
Rockaway Twp 10
Roxbury 2
Ocean
Toms River: 86 tickets
Brick 38
Harvey Cedars 1
Jackson 33
Lacey 19
Lakehurst 13
Lakewood 20
Manchester 3
Mantoloking 1
Ocean 32
Pine Beach 4
Point Pleasant Beach 7
Seaside Heights 2
Stafford 9
Passaic
Paterson: 59 tickets
Bloomingdale 44
Clifton 17
Haledon 21
Hawthorne 7
Little Falls 10
North Haledon 5
Passaic 47
Passaic County Sheriff 7
Pompton Lakes 8
Prospect Park 10
Wanaque 13
Wayne 57
West Milford 7
Woodland Park 4
Salem
Salem: 1 ticket
Somerset
Franklin: 105 tickets
Bedminster 17
Bernards 2
Bernardsville 19
Bound Brook 35
Branchburg 30
Bridgewater 1
Far Hills 2
Green Brook 15
Hillsborough 42
Manville 1
Mongomery 16
North Plainfield 54
Peapack-Gladstone 3
Raritan 8
Somerset County Sheriff 56
Somerville 4
South Bound Brook 7
Warren 2
Watchung 22
Sussex
Sussex County Sheriff: 16 tickets
Andover 4
Hardyston 3
Sparta 3
Vernon 2
Union
Union Township: 162 tickets
Berkeley Heights 10
Cranford 5
Fanwood 3
Garwood 18
Hillside 4
Kenilworth 2
Linden 8
Roselle 21
Roselle Park 40
Union County 57
Warren
Phillipsburg: 4 tickets
Blairstown 1
Hackettstown 2
Pohatcong 3

In addition to cell phone use and texting, the program also charted other citations including careless and reckless driving, speeding, seat belt violations, and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol among others.

The Division of Highway Traffic Safety said from 2010 to 2014 there were more than 817,000 motor vehicle crashes in the state, with more than 3,000 people being killed across the country in 2014 alone. Distracted driving, they said, includes not only cell phone use, but also eating and drinking, talking to other people in the car, reading, watching videos, or adjusting the music in the car.

This year there will be 192 agencies participating in the program, which will run through the same dates. Individual organizations received grants of $5,500, while larger organizations like sheriffs departments received $40,000 grants.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated with the correct number of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities in the state and country.

Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-353-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com

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