newjerseynewsroom.com

State sees 14 percent more deaths this year

"We're almost at the end of the year and pedestrian traffic fatalities continue to occur at a disappointing level,'' said Sgt. First Class Stephen Jones of the New Jersey State Police's Public Information Office.

The number of pedestrian deaths in New Jersey in 2009 has reached 155 ... 19 more than last year.

The official numbers for pedestrian fatalities by county so far this year (through December 27th) is as follows:

County — Deaths

Atlantic — 11

Bergen — 12

Burlington — 7

Camden — 9

Cape May — 1

Cumberland — 1

Essex — 20

Gloucester — 3

Hudson — 12

Hunterdon — 2

Mercer — 7

Middlesex — 18

Monmouth — 11

Morris — 3

Ocean — 15

Passaic — 5

Salem — 1

Somerset — 1

Sussex — 0

Union — 14

Warren — 2

Total — 155

This total to date is well above the year end total pedestrian deaths in 2008, which was 136. The New Years holiday period last year saw 8 fatal accidents, six of which were pedestrians.

Here are a few common sense these safety tips for pedestrians:

• Stay off highways. Do not pick up or discharge passengers on highways.
• Stay in your disabled vehicle if it is safely off the traveled portion of the highway and await emergency patrols.
• Only exit disabled vehicles in the traveled lanes when it there is ample time to make it well off the road and to a safe location.
• Notify police if your vehicle is in a bad location before getting out to change a tire or perform other emergency maintenance.
• Only cross roads at legal crossings
• Do not wear earphones that impede your hearing while crossing roads or walking/biking near traffic
• Do not walk anywhere near roadways while intoxicated. Although not as dangerous to others as driving while intoxicated, walking while under the influence may be just as dangerous to the walker. As a sober person to give an intoxicated person a ride or a place to sleep it off.
• Obey traffic signals, such as "Walk/Don't Walk"

The total number of traffic deaths in New Jersey (as of December 27th) is 578, which is 8 fewer than last year for the same time period.

— ANDY LAGOMARSINO, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM