Wednesday, September 28, 2022
National Pedestrian Safety Month 2022
All of us are pedestrians. Whether our preferred travel modes are to drive, use public transportation, bike, walk or roll, at some point we're all pedestrians.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has made October National Pedestrian Safety Month. The goal is to increase awareness about pedestrian safety, and remind drivers and walkers that staying safe is a shared responsibility.
Pedestrian fatalities remain an issue nationwide. In 2020, 6,516 pedestrians were killed in the United States. That equates to one person every 81 minutes. An estimated 55,000 were injured. That year, 173 pedestrians were killed in New Jersey.
With the sun setting earlier, and children back in school, it's extra important for drivers to pay attention and watch for people walking and biking.
Street Smart NJ partners with police departments and communities across the state all year, but we always make an extra push in October to remind people to be safe when traveling.
There are simple measures all drivers can follow to save lives, including:
- Avoiding distractions. If your focus isn’t on the road, you might miss what’s right in front of you and cause a crash. Driver inattention is the leading cause of fatal crashes in New Jersey.
- Stopping at stop signs and red lights, and always looking for people crossing before turning.
- Drivers must also come to a full stop at green lights and look for people crossing before turning.
- Slowing down. Traveling 5 mph over the speed limit may not seem like a big deal, but it can mean the difference between life and death if you crash into a pedestrian.
We also encourage pedestrians to cross where they can be seen — in crosswalks and at intersections.
Working together, we can all help New Jersey reach its goal of zero deaths. To learn more visit our
Safety Tips page.