There has been an overwhelming number of pedestrian deaths in New Jersey Shore communities in recent years.
Alarmingly, New Jersey is ranked fifth in in the nation for pedestrian. The lack of sidewalks on major highways and poorly lit intersections likely contribute to a majority of the fatal pedestrian accidents in the Garden State.
It is not unusual throughout New Jersey, and especially at the Shore, to see unfinished sidewalks or no sidewalks on county and highway roads. An investigation completed by the Asbury Park Press in Ocean County and Monmouth County showed that if sidewalks were present, at least six pedestrian deaths could have been prevented. According to federal crash data and satellite images, pedestrians were injured when they were walking alongside the road and not attempting to cross the street.
Some Pedestrian Deaths linked to Pedestrian Intoxication
Many assume most pedestrian injuries involve a car accident, but a significant amount of pedestrian fatalities are attributed to the victim’s use of drugs and alcohol. From 2010-2013, 25 of the 71 fatal pedestrian accidents involved alcohol, with the majority of individuals being legally drunk. Six of the 25 fatalities involved the use of drugs.
The executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, Jonathan Adkins, feels that there has been a detectable rise in pedestrian deaths in the past few years due to the heightened attention of drunk driving. Adkins reports that individuals need to make better decisions regarding transportation when alcohol consumption is involved.
Poor Lighting and Lack of Law Enforcement
Data also shows that poor lighting may have been a contributing cause to the significant amount of pedestrian deaths at the Shore. The data shows that 52 of the 71 accidents occurred at night, dusk, or dawn. Charles Brown, senior research specialist at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, along with other safety experts, are advocating for better lighting along roadways to ensure motorists can see pedestrians. Brown also points out that there are some other factors that increase the risk of pedestrian fatalities in New Jersey.
Drivers who pass vehicles on the right often neglect to pay attention to pedestrians that could be walking alongside the road. Brown asserts that these drivers rarely received tickets for these traffic violations. He also stated that New Jersey’s “Stop and Stay Stopped” law is not consistency enforced. Moreover, the location of stores or shopping centers are a factor as they cause pedestrians to cross busy roads illegally instead of using the legal crossing area.
