Posted Wednesday, May 8th, 2019
Motorists AND Pedestrians in Morristown Urged to Put Down Cell Phones While on Public Streets
The town of Morristown, which is center for Morris County government and the state courts, kicked off its third Street Smart Campaign this week, targeting pedestrian safety on the town’s busy streets during the month of May.
Street Smart NJ targets speed, distraction and safety awareness for motorists and pedestrians. It is a public awareness campaign that combines educational outreach and high-visibility law enforcement to change behaviors as they relate to pedestrian safety.
Officials from Morristown, the Morristown Police Department, nonprofit TransOptions, and Morris County representatives and other advocates launched the campaign this afternoon (May 6).
“Striking a balance between pedestrians walking through town, and effectively moving vehicle traffic alongside them, creates one of the biggest challenges for us at the Morristown Bureau of Police,” said Morristown Police Sgt. Brian LaBarre. “With the Street Smart campaign, we can devote separate enforcement details to pedestrian issues while educating the community as to the proper way to navigate as a pedestrian or a driver- a win for everyone.”
“We know this program will once again have a positive impact on pedestrian safety and we look forward to seeing positive behavior changes from pedestrians and motorists while traveling through Morristown,” said Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty.
TransOptions, a non-profit transportation organization, is leading the Street Smart effort in Morristown, after successfully completing similar campaigns across northwestern New Jersey.
“We hope that with each and every Street Smart campaign we get one step closer to zero fatalities on our roadways,” said TransOptions President Dan Callas.
Between 2015 and 2017 there were 74 crashes involving pedestrians in Morristown. In 2017, a pedestrian was struck an average of every 15 days in Morristown. Thirty-nine percent of pedestrian-involved crashes were attributed to drivers failing to yield to pedestrians. Also, 34 percent of pedestrians struck were in a marked crosswalk at the time of the crash.
LAWS FOR MOTORISTS AROUND PEDESTRIANS
Violations of the laws carry a $200 fine, two motor vehicle points and up to 15 days of community service. If the violation results in serious bodily injury to a person crossing, drivers can face fines of more than $500, up to 25 days in jail and license suspension of up to six months.
LAWS FOR PEDESTRIANS
Violation of the above laws carries a $54 fine.
For more information on Street Smart, visit TransOptions.org/street-smart, or call TransOptions at (973) 267-7600.