Lakewood Begins Pedestrian Safety Campaign

LAKEWOOD, NJ — In the wake of a string of pedestrian deaths and injuries over the last year, Lakewood police and a number of groups are kicking off a campaign to remind pedestrians of what they can do to stay safe.

There were two pedestrians killed in accidents in Lakewood in January, deaths that followed a string of pedestrian deaths in Ocean County in the last part of the year. Seven pedestrians were killed in December alone, including a woman hit and killed on Shorrock Street on Dec. 5 and a man killed on Cedar Bridge Avenue on Christmas. There have been a number of pedestrian injuries as well.

The pedestrian deaths were part of an overall spike in traffic fatalities in Lakewood last year, an issue the Ocean County prosecutor's office and Lakewood police targeted with a weeklong traffic enforcement detail.

Bad weather and frigid temperatures have tamped down the number of pedestrians out along the roads, but with the weather on the verge of warming up, several Lakewood agencies and organizations worked together to design the safety campaign, Lakewood police said.

Part of the campaign is pedestrian safety cards in English, Yiddish, and Spanish, urging people to look before they cross, to follow crossing signals and to cross in crosswalks. Most of the pedestrian deaths in Ocean County in 2017 and so far in 2018 resulted from people not crossing at crosswalks.

"Many injuries and fatalities happen because drivers and pedestrians simply don’t see each other," Lakewood police said.

The cards will be distributed by various groups within their communities, police said.

Pedestrians should also watch for turning vehicles; wear light-colored clothing and reflective materials; and walk on the sidewalk if there is one or walk facing the traffic when there is no sidewalk.

The Lakewood agencies and organizations that developed the cards are Lakewood Township officials, the Lakewood Police Department, Lakewood First Aid, Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch (LCSW), Lakewood Fire Department, Lakewood Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hatzolah, Lakewood Chaveirim, and Bikur Cholim of Lakewood.

For questions or more information, contact the Traffic & Safety Division of the Lakewood Police Department at 732-363-0200 Ext. 5385.

Images via Lakewood Township Police