The worst streets for walking

Pedestrians deaths on rise in North Jersey

By: Jessie Gomez
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... It's not uncommon to see a person dashing across a busy street - or even a highway - in North Jersey.
..... Behind the wheel, it;s enough to make your heart jump and your foot slam on the brakes. But for the pedestrian,it could cost a life.
..... Despite the pandemic causing empties roads, national traffic fatalities are trending upward.
..... Between 2010 and 2019, the number of pedestrian fatalities across the nation increased by 46%, from 4,302 in 2010 to an estimated 6,301 in 2019, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association data.
..... NorthJersey.com filed public records requests to the 171 police departments across North Jersey and requested fatal motor vehicle accident reports involving pedestrians, between 2010 and 2020. Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris and Sussex counties reported 296 such deaths on highways and streets.
..... As safety experts project an increase in deaths nationwide, New Jersey trends are also on the rise. A combinations of high speeds, lack of infrastructure for pedestrians and arterial roadways accounted for the increase, experts said.
..... Year-to-date statewide police data shows over 340 motor vehicle fatalities were reported so far in 2021, which includes pedestrians and bicyclists. That is more than a 7% increase from 2020, according to state police data. In north Jersey, the trend is on a slight decline.
..... The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in shutdowns and office closures cutting down commute times and people on the street. Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Adam Wells said his department did not see any fatalities during the first two months of the pandemic. Across the five counties, 33 pedestrian deaths were reported in 2019 dropping to 32 in 2020. the area saw its lowest fatalities in both 2010 and 2012, reporting 22 deaths during those years.
..... Out of the 171 North Jersey towns that released data, 67 had instances of cars striking and killing people between the 10-eyar period.
..... Locally, safety experts said they are seeing similar trends emerge in accidents including speeding on roadways and no bus stops or safe crossings in areas with high pedestrian traffic. But advocates of safe streets say the problem isn't one-sided. lack of funding, awareness and education are some of the biggest contributors to pedestrian fatalities.
..... "There are a lot of pedestrian activities naturally occurring, but not the infrastructure to support it and obviously the high rates of speed contribute to accidents,: said Janna Chernetz, deputy director and director of New Jersey Policy for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign,
..... Despite the raise in national pedestrian fatalities, Wells said there were "far more cases more than a decade ago.
..... "Anecdotally in the last 15 or more years we had far more cases than we do now," said Wells, who has supervised the country's vehicular homicide unit for the last three years.

Fatalities by the numbers:

..... The facilitates were the highest in more populated areas like Bergen and Passaic counties during the 10-eyar span.
..... In Bergen County's 70 towns 145 deaths were documented, a stark difference from rural Sussex County, which only reported 11 in the last 10 years. Passaic County reported 61 fatalities in the last decade surpassing Morris County's 49. Essex County reported 30 deaths over the same time-frame. Essex towns, including Newark, that relied on the county to record data on pedestrian deaths did not fulfill records requests.
..... Sonia Szczesna, program manager for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said Bergen County is a recurring area with a high number of pedestrian fatalities.
..... "Bergen County has always seemed to be the county that has the highest fatalities. Their population density, number of arterial roadways and demographics [are causes]," Szczesna said. "When you put all those trends together, more urban sectors seem to have more of those trends."
..... Out of the 1781 municipalities that submitted data, Paterson, Wayne and Clifton had the highest number of pedestrian deaths within the last 10 years. Although alcohol continues to play a role in pedestrian deaths linked to motor vehicle crashes, drivers in these accidents were rarely cited for driving under the influence. Across the state, the number of alcohol impaired fatalities is tending downward, according to New Jersey's Highway Safety Plan for 2021.
..... Instead, driver inattention, failure to yield to pedestrians or traffic signs, improper lane changes and unsafe speeds played a significant role ion the cause of these crashes, records show.
..... Hit-and-runs also account for about 15% of the accidents reported across the five counties. Wells said drivers leaving the seen after a fatal accident has become a recurring problem in many of the cases he's seen.
..... "If you're involved in an accident yo need to stop and check and make sure your vehicle is OK and make sure that what ever you hit is OK," Wells added. "And if there's a person that got hit, call 911."
..... Out of the 294 accidents reported in the last 10 years, across the five counties reckless driving, driver inattention, failure to yield to pedestrians or traffic signs, improper lane change and unsafe speeds played a role. Drivers were cited in roughly 25% of the crashes.
..... Wells added that far too often, drivers taking a left turn at intersections with a left hand turn signal fail to see pedestrians crossing. This causes major accidents on streets and dense areas,
..... "IF you're a pedestrian waiting at an intersection and the car's about to turn, watch the care," Wells said. "Make sure it sees you. Unfortunately. it's a very simple thing that drivers forget to do."

Towns with the most fatalities:

..... In Paterson, 18 fatalities were reported during the 10-year span. Recurring accidents occurred on both Main and River streets, areas which are more dense with a high number of businesses and foot traffic. In Wayne, 16 pedestrian deaths were prompted between 2010 and 2020 with the majority of accidents happening on or along Route 23. Most crashes in Wayne happens because drivers said they could not see the pedestrian or the pedestrian crossed in an unmarked crosswalk, records show.
..... In Clifton, 15 pedestrians were struck and killed by cars in the last 10 years with the bulk happening along route 3. One pedestrian was walking along the highway and according to the police report, was under the influence at the time.
..... In more suburban areas, like Morris and Sussex counties, fewer than seven deaths were reported each year, with the majority of them happening on highways running through towns. In Morris County, Randolph Township and Parsippany hold the highest number of pedestrians killed by motor vehicles over the last 10 years, both with six.
..... By far, 2018 proved to be the deadliest year for North Jersey pedestrians as 34 fatalities were reported across the five counties where data was collected.
..... Safety experts added that having better pedestrian infrastructure can prevent fatalities. Education and more municipal funding to collect and study the factors that can keep roads safe can also help.
..... "What we see is that a lot of the towns need support financially to do the planning and do the data research to actually implement the road changes,: Szczesna said. "So that's something we think the state could really help with."
..... Wells added that drivers and pedestrians can also do their part by following common safety tips to prevent fatalities. Pedestrians can wear bright colored clothing in dark areas and drivers should continue to yield to pedestrians on the road.
.... "Stay vigilant when you're driving,: Wells said. "And if you're a pedestrian stay focused on the fact that you're got a 4,000 pound vehicle here and you're trying to get where you're going safely."

Staff Writer Abbott Koloff contributed to this report.

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