Police today are placing pedestrian safety signs around the downtown area as a state initiative gets underway.

As earlier reported, Mayor Miller announced that Lakewood will be participating in the Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety education campaign aimed at reducing pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes in New Jersey.

The Street Smart NJ campaign is a collaborative effort between public, private and non-profit organizations. Local police with be working with local organizations to educate motorists and pedestrians.

Lakewood kicks-off its Street Smart NJ campaign today, March 30, 2016.

The campaign comes at a significant time. New Jersey is ranked 6th in the nation in pedestrian fatalities, according to 2014 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal government has designated New Jersey a “focus” state – placing an extra emphasis on aiding the state in combating its higher-than-average pedestrian fatality rate and providing funding for this campaign.

During this time, you will see street signs, posters, tip cards and other educational materials throughout the community. Street Teams – groups of professionals and volunteers – will be out in Lakewood distributing safety tips at busy intersections.

Pedestrian safety is an ongoing challenge in New Jersey. In 2014, 170 pedestrians died as a result of pedestrian-vehicle crashes, according to the most recent data available from the New Jersey State Police. From 2010 through 2014, 749 pedestrians were killed on New Jersey’s roads and more than 17,000 were injured, according to the New Jersey State Police. That translates into one death every 2.4 days and 11 injuries daily.

The statewide Street Smart NJ campaign is managed by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and began in 2013. The campaign urges pedestrians and motorists to “Check Your Vital Signs” to improve safety on the road. Motorists are urged to obey the speed limit and stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Pedestrians are told to use crosswalks and wait for the walk signal where applicable. A new “Heads Up, Phone Down” message has been added to the campaign this year to combat distracted driving and walking.

Businesses, organizations and individuals interested in helping to promote the Street Smart NJ message in Lakewood should contact Sarah Kay at 732-364-2500 ext 2771 or [email protected]. To learn more about the campaign, visit bestreetsmartnj.org. The campaign is also on Twitter (@njstreetsmart).

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