Hackettstown police, businesses, nonprofits and others are taking part in Street Smart NJ to lower risks to pedestrians.
Looking to combat New Jersey's rank among the nation's most dangerous states for pedestrians, Hackettstown police on Tuesday are launching a pedestrian-safety initiative.
The town's Street Smart NJ campaign is scheduled to run throughout March.
The effort brings police together with public, private and nonprofit organizations, as officers enforce pedestrian-safety laws while working with their partners outside the department to better educate drivers and pedestrians.
Street Smart NJ comes as New Jersey in 2014 ranked sixth in the United States in pedestrian fatalities, police said, citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Throughout the month, drivers and walkers in Hackettstown will see street signs, posters, tip cards and other educational materials. Email blasts will also go out to raise awareness about the initiative, police said. Street Teams -- groups of professionals and volunteers -- will be out in Hackettstown distributing safety tips at busy intersections.
"We'll be interacting with motorists to make sure they know and obey the law and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk," police Sgt. Darren Tynan said in a news release. "We'll also be reminding pedestrians to use crosswalks and cross at intersections and not jaywalk."
Pedestrian safety is an ongoing challenge in New Jersey, police say. In 2014, 170 pedestrians died as a result of pedestrian-vehicle crashes, according to the most recent data available from the New Jersey State Police. From 2010 through 2014, 749 pedestrians were killed on New Jersey's roads and more than 17,000 were injured, state police said.
That translates into one death every 2.4 days and 11 injuries daily.
Street Smart NJ is managed by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and began in 2013. The campaign urges pedestrians and motorists to "Check Your Vital Signs" to improve safety on the road: Motorists are urged to obey the speed limit and stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, while pedestrians are told to use crosswalks and wait for the walk signal where applicable. A new "Heads Up, Phone Down" message has been added to the campaign this year to combat distracted driving and walking.
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Hackettstown police invite businesses, organizations and individuals interested in helping to promote Street Smart NJ in town to contact Sgt. Darren Tynan at hpd34@hackettstownpd.net or 908-852-3302.
For more on the campaign, visit bestreetsmartnj.org or look for information on Facebook and Twitter.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.