New Jersey State Police Offer Safety Tips

During the holiday season this year and leading up to 2012, the New Jersey State Police urge citizens to walk and drive more carefully, in order to reduce the number of traffic and pedestrian fatalities this year.

“During the 2010 Christmas holiday driving period, there were six deaths. Tragically, five of those fatalities were pedestrians! And this does not stand alone as a statistical anomaly. Seven of the eight fatalities during the 2011 Thanksgiving Holiday period were pedestrians,” said New Jersey State Trooper Christopher Kay in a statement.

Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the State Police, agreed.

“All of us in New Jersey have the ability to do much better when it comes to reducing accidents. Holidays have proven to be particularly hazardous for pedestrians, so we’re encouraging everyone to adopt a ‘defensive walking’ mindset similar to defensive driving,” said Fuentes in a press release.  

Defensive walking safety tips issued by the state police would include:

• Be observant. When walking or exercising, maintain your situational awareness. 

• Be alert for approaching vehicles, as they may not be alert to your presence.

• Follow the laws. Don’t cross roadways except at appropriate locations, and don’t trespass on roadways which prohibit pedestrians.

• Don’t walk or exercise distracted. Audio and communication devices can keep you from recognizing danger. 

• Don’t use sound-blocking headphones to listen to music.  It will obviously affect your ability to hear traffic coming.

• Don’t assume traffic will stop just because you enter a pedestrian crossing zone.  There are many distracted drivers out there that won’t see you until it’s too late. Ensure traffic is stopping before you fully commit to a road crossing.

• Drunk walking may not have the same danger to innocent members of the public as driving under the influence, but it has proven to be extremely dangerous to pedestrians. Get a ride, plan to sleep over, or don’t drink to excess.

“There will be a full complement of troopers and Emergency Service Patrols to handle accidents and broken down vehicles during the holiday periods. If your vehicle becomes disabled, immediately pull as far off the traveled part of the road as possible and put your flashers on,” said Kay. 

Trooper Kay added that if a crash or mechanical failure leaves your car in the lanes of travel, not to get out until you can see a clear break in traffic that enables you and your passengers to get completely off the road and to a safe location.  Especially on icy roadways, minor crashes sometimes lead to serious injuries when occupants are standing around the scene of the accident as other traffic approaches.