EAST WINDSOR, NJ — Drivers in East Windsor will soon see more police on the roads as a new countywide traffic safety task force gets underway this week.
A countywide traffic safety partnership designed to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes through coordinated, high-visibility enforcement and public engagement was announced by the County Prosecutor on Monday. East Windsor Police will be joining the initiative.
The ACED Task Force Initiative, short for Awareness & Community Education for Drivers, starts its first phase on Thursday along Route 29 and Route 129 in Trenton, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey said. Enforcement and education will then continue year-round across the county.
The effort, led by the prosecutor's office, brings together every municipal police department in the county, the Mercer County Sheriff's Office, the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The goal is to cut down on fatal and serious injury crashes, officials said.
"Mercer County is committed to educating drivers on the risks associated with dangerous driving," Marbrey said. "The ACED outreach initiative reinforces the shared responsibility to prevent tragedies before they occur and keep our roads safe for all."
What the numbers show
From 2019 to 2025, Mercer County averaged 27 fatal crashes and 28 deaths per year, according to the prosecutor's office. The worst year was 2024, with 37 fatal crashes and 38 deaths.
Between 2019 and 2022, the county saw anywhere from 7,495 to 11,576 police-reported crashes each year. Pedestrian deaths have been especially high, officials said.
What drivers can expect
The task force will use crash data, enforcement records and traffic trends to pick out high-risk spots. Police will then run saturation patrols, DUI checkpoints, speed enforcement details and multi-agency enforcement waves, officials said.
The focus will be on the leading causes of serious crashes: speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving and pedestrian safety.
Officers will pay special attention to stretches of U.S. Route 1, which carries very heavy traffic and accounts for a large share of the county's serious crashes, according to the prosecutor's office.
"By utilizing a unified strategy and treating traffic violence as a public health issue, we are prioritizing prevention, intervening in hazardous driving behaviors, and focusing on protecting the most vulnerable road users," Marbrey said.
The campaign's messaging ties into New Jersey's Target Zero effort, which says that "every life matters, every crash is preventable."
Education and road reviews
Members of the prosecutor's Serious Collision Response Team will also visit Mercer County schools to hold sessions for new and young drivers.
Engineers will review intersections flagged as high-risk for fatal or serious crashes, officials said.
The program is funded through the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, and the county plans to apply for more state and federal highway safety money to keep it going long-term. The Mercer County Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the New Jersey Department of Transportation are also partners.
Officials will track crash data, enforcement activity, DUI arrests and public awareness to measure how well the program works and adjust as needed.
For more information, contact Sgt. Anthony Sturchio at 609-503-2952 or visit mercercountyprosecutor.com.
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