It's not enough to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk in the Garden State anymore, as the New Jersey state legislature that takes effect this month will force drivers to come to a complete stop before a crosswalk when a pedestrian is present.
According to the Newark Star-Ledger, it is the first change in driver-pedestrian regulations in a half century, and is the result of what some call the highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country, or roughly one quarter of all traffic fatalities in New Jersey. The law actually states that as soon as a pedestrian enters a walkway with one part of their body, the law is in effect.
The measure was one of the last signed into law by outgoing Governor Jon Corzine, and will be phased in with warning cards over the next several weeks before penalties begin being enforced by local police officers. Then, penalties can include up to two points on your license, a fine of $200 or 15 days of community service. Depending on the judge hearing the case and the jurisdiction the actual penalty may be any combination of those three.
The number of pedestrian deaths had risen sharply after a two-year hiatus, but a study by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign found that the most dangerous spots for pedestrians, and for drivers looking to avoid incidents, generally occurred in the south of the state.
Specifically, highways that travel through areas built up by strip malls that retain their higher speed limits such as Route 130 in Burlington County and White Horse Pike in Atlantic County ranked the highest with at least seven fatalities between 2006 and 2008, according to Tri-State's analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. The data did not include information on pedestrian injuries, which officials said was likely higher, especially in urban areas.
The problem, however, is statewide due to the fact that in many areas, shopping centers and residential areas often butt up against the highways as developers try to fit more housing into an increasingly dense state. It's a problem similar to those found in suburban areas near Southern cities, and is a cause for both hope and concern in New Jersey.
"Pedestrian improvements offer a tremendous bang for the buck," said Kate Slevin, executive director of the Campaign. "Even with limited resources, the New Jersey Department of Transportation can step up efforts to design more balanced, walkable streets."
However, the billions of dollars in deficit in the state budget are giving rise to cuts in many areas, and it may be that pedestrians are likely to see more vigilant drivers rather than construction projects designed for safer walkways in the foreseeable future.
The points that could accrue on driver's licenses could be fairly devastating, as they are the equivalent of excessive speeding and other offenses that can take two points. This makes it increasingly likely that New Jersey drivers could face the prospect of needing to use
online defensive driving school to reduce the number of infractions on their license.
