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Drivers aren’t the one ones making errors that result in lethal crashes on New Jersey’s roads. However advocates counsel different highway customers are typically compelled to place themselves in hurt’s method as a consequence of unsatisfactory roadway design.
Annually from 2017 via 2020 (the most recent yr with a full report), in line with New Jersey State Police, a minimum of 120 “pedestrian violations” have been cited as a contributing circumstance in deadly crashes. The rely was 150 in 2017.
Examples of those violations embrace:
- Did not obey site visitors management machine
- Crossing the place prohibited
- Darkish clothes/Low visibility
- Inattentive
- Failure to yield to right-of-way
- Strolling on incorrect facet of highway
- Strolling in highway when sidewalks current
- Operating/Darting throughout site visitors
In 2020, in line with NJSP information, a pedestrian was crossing the road “not at an intersection” earlier than 86 crashes that resulted in a minimum of one demise.
Of the 179 pedestrians killed on New Jersey’s roadways in 2020, 156 have been examined for alcohol. A couple of third examined constructive.
Pedestrians accounted for 218 of New Jersey’s 698 highway fatalities in 2021, in line with preliminary NJSP statistics.
Preserving pedestrians protected in New Jersey
harmful crossing
Pedestrians have the right-of-way in any respect intersections within the Backyard State, whether or not or not there is a marked crosswalk.
And a state law that took effect in March 2022 provides protections by mandating a buffer between automobiles and weak highway customers, reminiscent of pedestrians, bikers, and people in wheelchairs. Violators who do not swap lanes, transfer over or decelerate may be fined $100 to $500, relying on whether or not or not the incident resulted in bodily hurt.
“That is an preliminary path to creating issues safer, however we actually wish to see is extra infrastructure to truly separate folks and have locations which are protected,” Sonia Szczesna, director of lively transportation for Tri-State Transportation Marketing campaign, informed New Jersey 101.5.
Szczesna mentioned lots of the “pedestrian violations” cited by police may be addressed via actions reminiscent of putting in pedestrian-focused lighting or extra seen crosswalks.
“Clearly you should not dart throughout site visitors …. however I refuse to suppose that it is advisable costume a sure solution to survive strolling house at evening,” Szczesna mentioned.
The Marketing campaign is one among greater than 20 teams that make up the Vision Zero New Jersey Alliance, which is pushing the state to undertake an strategy to site visitors security that goals to get rid of all site visitors fatalities and extreme accidents by anticipating human error and designing roadways accordingly.
Legislation to establish a New Jersey Vision Zero Task Force is scheduled to be thought-about on Thursday by the Senate Transportation Committee.
“New Jersey is so car-centric, and we have made the roads, actually, for automobiles to drive,” mentioned Sangeeta Badlani, founding father of Households for Secure Streets New Jersey and the Nikhil Badlani Foundation. “What can we do to make our pedestrians, our bicyclists, really feel protected on our roadways? As a result of it is their roadway too.”
New Jersey’s deadliest intersections
State and native officers gathered on Monday in Trenton to announce the launch of a pedestrian security enchancment challenge alongside the state’s Route 129 hall.
The challenge contains short-term enhancements and long-term options to enhance security for each pedestrians and cyclists at three signalized intersections on Route 129, at Lalor Avenue, Cass Avenue, and Hamilton Avenue. Enhancements will embrace a first-in-the-nation “Pink Clearance Extensions System,” which detects car velocity at an intersection and robotically adjusts site visitors sign modifications, the Division of Transportation mentioned.
With 9 fatalities from 2000 to 2019, the intersection of Route 129 and Lalor was designated the deadliest in the country, tied with East Jersey Avenue and Routes 1 & 9 in Elizabeth.
Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You possibly can attain him at [email protected]
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.
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