Street Smart New jersey

Chief Little announced today that Toms River will be participating in the March 2016 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 will be enforcing pedestrian laws in Toms River and working with several partners to educate motorists and pedestrians throughout the month of March.
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 the month of March you will see street signs, posters, tip cards and other educational materials throughout the community. Our campaign and its partners will also be sending e-blasts in an effort to raise additional awareness about our pedestrian safety efforts this month. Street Teams – groups of professionals and volunteers – will be out in Toms River distributing safety tips at busy intersections.
“We’ll be interacting with motorists to make sure they know and obey the law and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk,” said Safety Officer Steve Schwartz “We’ll also be reminding pedestrians to use crosswalks and cross at intersections and not jaywalk.”
Officers will also address speeding and distracted driving and walking, which often contribute to crashes involving pedestrians.
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 Toms River, should contact Safety Officer Steve Schwartz 732-349-0150 ext 1293). To learn more about the campaign, visit bestreetsmartnj.org. The campaign is also on Facebook (StreetSmartNJ) and Twitter (@njstreetsmart).