Hey, Watch Where You're Going In The Dark, Say Police In The Caldwells

THE CALDWELLS, NJ — The police in West Caldwell have a request, now that the nights are longer in winter. (Luckily, nights began getting a little shorter with the winter solstice in December, and will get progressively shorter until late June.)

Police said they've seen a slight increase in pedestrians being struck on West Caldwell roads at night. They gave some advice, from not wearing noise-canceling earbuds, to slowing down for crosswalks.

"We have seen a slight increase in pedestrians being struck by motorists in recent months," the police said last week, " in the overnight hours. We are hoping to raise awareness throughout the community to make our roads safer for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians."

They reminded residents to drive at the 25 MPH speed limit on residential roadways. "This speed allows drivers appropriate time to react and stop to avoid collisions," they said.

"When making turns at intersection, please reduce your speed further to 5-10 MPH and be aware of your surroundings, specifically looking for bicyclists or pedestrians who have left the sidewalk and have entered the crosswalk. It is important that drivers yield right of way to pedestrians who are in the crosswalk with a designated walk cycle."

They also advised:

• Please check intersections for "No Turn on Red" signs, where posted, await the changing of the signal before entering the intersection.
• Please check to insure that all of your vehicle's lights are functioning to properly illuminate the area around your vehicle.

If walking

"If you are walking, please be aware of your surroundings and look in all directions before entering the street to cross," they said. "Don't take for granted that a passing motorist can see you and will stop. Please use designated crosswalks and avoid crossing mid-block, whenever possible. If there are no crosswalks in the area, choose to cross the street under a street light to better illuminate yourself. "

Also:

• If you are walking for an extended distance and anticipate that you will be crossing streets on your walk, select clothing that may be lighter in color or wear reflective clothing or sneakers.
  Please avoid walking in the roadway where sidewalks are available.
• Avoid putting two earbuds in your ears, especially noise-cancelling, where you cannot hear approaching vehicles or other approaching dangers.

They included photos in a social media post to show residents just how hard it is to see at night.

Photos Of West Caldwell Roads At Night

See recent crime and safety stories in the Caldwells here.