What NJ law says about yielding for pedestrians
By: Lucas Frau
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... The third Sunday of November is World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic victims. Many people from New Jersey have tragically lost their lives on the road, and numerous laws have been passed over the years which attempt to improve pedestrian safety as the state grapples with an increase in those fatalities.
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Earlier this year, [2025] Governor Phil Murphy signed a law for Target Zero. It created a panel that hope to end traffic fatalities by 2024. The commission is composed of representative from the state police, NJ Transit, the motor Vehicle Commission, the Community Affairs Department, the Office of Environmental Justice and the Turnpike Authority.
..... The group that as created this past January [2025] hopes to improve traffic safety through "engineering, education, and enforcement systems that analyze physical transportation designs with a focus on the equitable treatment of all transportation users."
..... Before the commission was assembled, other laws were signed during the Murphy administration that aimed to enhance pedestrian safety by providing further clarification on road rules.
Pedestrians right of way
.... Fifteen years ago, the Stop and Stay Stopped Law was passed in New Jersey which have gave pedestrians the right of way on crosswalks.
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The law called for vehicles to yield to pedestrians in unmarked crosswalks at an uncontrolled intersection. this law established that pedestrians must also follow the rules of the road, such as using cross walks and yield to drivers when not using crosswalks.
..... The Safe Assign Law was signed in 2022, creating more guidelines for motorists who are passing pedestrians on crosswalks.
..... Motorists can pass pedestrians but must do so with "due caution," meaning at a slow pace and with enough room for the pedestrian. They law created regulations that go as followed:
* Drivers must follow all current no passing and no speeding laws and move over a lane if there is one to move into.
* On a single-lane road, drivers must allow at least 4-foot safety zone when the pass.
* if 4 feet is not possible on a section of road, drivers must slow to 25 mph and be prepared to stop until they can pass safety without endangering those sharing the road.
Penalty for failure to yield to pedestrians
..... A penalty of $500 and two motor vehicle points will be distributed if guidelines were not followed and a crash led to bodily injury. A fine of $100 could be distributed if guidelines were not followed but no bodily harm occurred.
Pedestrian deaths in New Jersey
..... Pedestrian safety has been a concern for local and state leaders as New Jersey comes off one of the most dangerous years ever for those walking the streets and roads. In 2024, there were 227 pedestrian deaths in the state, the most since 1986/ The 22 cyclist deaths in New Jersey in the same year were the third highest in the last 25 years.
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2023 study showed New Jersey had the most dangerous roads in the country for pedestrians.
..... Sangeeta and Sunil Badiani lost their 11-eyar-old son Nikhil, to a car crash 15 years ago. The couple were invited to Murphy's the State of the State address when he highlighted pedestrian safety as a high priority in New Jersey.