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Street Smart NJ partners with local police departments along the Jersey Shore. This year, they kicked off their annual campaign in Long Beach, New Jersey. Their annual campaigns are focused heavily on improving pedestrian safety during the busy beach season.
Unlike other safety campaigns, the Street Smart NJ safety campaigns tackle the rise in pedestrian fatalities by talking to both drivers and pedestrians. While drivers need to focus on driving more attentively, pedestrians must also think about how they can remain safe while walking.
Street Smart NJ Has Made a Difference
Fortunately, the Street Smart NJ campaigns have led to improved public awareness, as well as safety improvements in coastal towns. Ocean County, for example, recently made pedestrian safety improvements to dangerous intersections, such as the one near the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and E. Meade Avenue.
Since the campaign first started, Street Smart NJ has also significantly improved motorist and pedestrian safety awareness. In fact, an analysis of these efforts found that Street Smart NJ campaigns may have contributed to:
- A 60% reduction in drivers failing to stop before turning right at a red light or stop sign
- A 40% reduction in turning vehicles failing to stop for pedestrians
- A 45% reduction in drivers running a stop sign or red light
- A 21% reduction in people crossing the street outside of a crosswalk or against the signal
High Rates of Pedestrian Crashes in New Jersey
Pedestrian safety is such a concern in the state of New Jersey that the federal government designated the state as a pedestrian safety focus. That’s because, according to NHTSA, 29% of all people killed in NJ crashes in 2017 were pedestrians. This is nearly double the national average. New Jersey ranks 13th in the nation in pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people. Here, a pedestrian is killed every two days, and 12 pedestrians are injured daily.
Sadly, the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths doesn’t seem to be decreasing. According to the New Jersey State Police, there were 70 reported pedestrian deaths in New Jersey in 2018 at the start of summer. At the start of summer, 74 pedestrians had already lost their lives in tragic pedestrian accidents across the state.
Have You Been Involved in a Pedestrian Accident in New Jersey?
If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you have a right to file a claim against the negligent driver. It is important to speak to an experienced pedestrian accident attorney immediately to begin building your case. Call the Vineland, New Jersey pedestrian accident attorneys at Rosner Law Offices, P.C. today for a free initial consultation and review of your potential case.
You can contact us at (856) 502-1655 or fill out our confidential contact form. With an office conveniently located in Vineland, New Jersey, we are ready and eager to represent you through this difficult time.