Pedestrian safety campaign to begin soon at the Jersey Shore
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A pedestrian safety initiative will soon begin at the Jersey Shore to coincide with the swelling seasonal population.
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority will kick off its Street Smart NJ campaign with a press conference at Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
According to a release from the agency, the campaign has successfully changed motorist and pedestrian behaviors throughout the state.
“The campaign is returning to Long Beach Island and expanding to other communities along the Jersey Shore during the month of July. Police officers will be demonstrating positive reinforcement efforts by rewarding pedestrians and motorists who obey the traffic laws with coupons, gift cards and t-shirts,” the release said.
A street team will also demonstrate how the campaign educates motorists and pedestrians.
New Jersey’s pedestrian fatality rate is nearly double the national average. According to the authority:
New Jersey is 14th in the nation in pedestrian fatalities.
736 pedestrians have been killed and 22,006 were injured between 2010 and 2014.
Pedestrian deaths account for 25.6 percent of all crash-related fatalities between 2010 and 2014.
Millions of residents and tourists visit the Jersey Shore in the summer, increasing the number of pedestrians and motorists along the beaches.
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