NEW BRUNSWICK POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

“Cops in Crosswalks”

Pedestrian Safety Decoy Program Announced

Lieutenant J.T. Miller today announced a new pedestrian safety enforcement program designed to educate New Jersey motorists about safely sharing the roads with pedestrians.

New Jersey’s new stop for pedestrian law (RS 39:4-36) took effect April 1, 2010, yet the compliance rate is minimal.   Through this unique enforcement effort, we can increase public awareness about pedestrian safety and ultimately reduce injuries and deaths.

Known as the “Cops in Crosswalks” program, this new initiative places undercover police officers, posing as pedestrians, at intersections in the community that have a high incidence of pedestrian/motorist conflicts.  Motorists who fail to stop for the undercover officers are stopped and ticketed by uniformed officers a short distance away.

“Each year in New Jersey, pedestrians account for 20 to 25 percent of all traffic fatalities, that’s double the national average”, said Pam Fischer, Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.  Each year, we suffer an unacceptable number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries in motor vehicle crashes.  The new effort will help address this disturbing loss of life and injury through both education and enforcement, and send a strong message to motorists, that failure to give pedestrians the opportunity to cross safely won’t be tolerated.

Violators of the law face a $200 fine (plus court costs and fees) and two points on their driving record.

The purpose of the program is not to write tickets.  We want motorists to learn about the life-saving importance of stopping for pedestrians and being especially careful to look for them when making a right turn.  By doing that, compliance with the law will increase and crashes involving pedestrians will be reduced.

 

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July 14, 2010