Originally Published: Monday, January 02, 2012, 3:00 AM

By John Heinis/The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal

Motorists might want to check airbags and brakes before venturing to the Walmart at 88th Street and Tonnelle Avenue.

According to records obtained from the township, there have been 191 vehicular accidents along Tonnelle Avenue between 88th and 89th streets between Jan. 20, 2010, when the retail superstore opened, and this past Sept. 30.

The lion’s share of the accidents, according to police, occurred at 88th Street and Tonnelle Avenue, where vehicles traveling north on Tonnelle have to turn left to enter the shopping center anchored by the retail giant, without the benefit of a dedicated left-turn lane or signal.

In stark contrast, during the 21-month span before the Walmart opened from April 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2009 there were only 31 accidents along the same stretch of roadway, less than one-fifth of the accidents that occurred after the Walmart opened for business.

Township spokesman Phil Swibinski acknowledged the 88th Street-Tonnelle Avenue intersection has become tow-truck central and said the municipality is pursuing a fix.

“A ‘left-turn-only’ lane leading into the complex (for drivers heading north on Tonnelle) is under construction and we expect it to ease traffic significantly,” Swibinski said, noting the new lane should be completed by the spring.

Swibinski also pointed out that the police department would be conducting a “comprehensive study of the entire length of Tonnelle Avenue in the coming months,” likely to go hand-in-hand with the state road-widening project.

Swibinski said the 24/7 Walmart has been a money-maker for the township.

“When a municipality is fortunate enough to attract a commercial development like this that creates thousands of jobs and adds hundreds of millions of dollars to the tax ratable base, helping keep property taxes stable, some additional traffic in the area is not surprising,” Swibinski said.

Andrew Pisani, a traffic expert who runs AP Accident Reconstruction and Analysis, based in Union City, said he feels safer on the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway than navigating Tonnelle Avenue at 88th Street.

“A scene study sounds like it’s definitely needed here so that a recommendation could be made to the state,” Pisani said.