South Brunswick Police Unveils New Pedestrian Safety Measures

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka on Monday announced new measures to curb pedestrian accidents.

This comes weeks after 14-year-old Angelica Rivera was killed while trying to cross Route 1. Riviera had climbed over the center divider to cross the road and was hit by an SUV.

Read More Here: Teen Killed By SUV While Crossing Route 1: South Brunswick Police

“Highway safety is one of our primary concerns at South Brunswick Police Department. The events of nearly two weeks ago just remind all of us of the dangers of crossing the highways at improper locations,” said Hayducka.

The department released the following steps to protect pedestrians:

Additional fencing along Route 1. The department is working with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to increase fencing along portions of the highway where officers have observed pedestrians crossing the divider. Previous areas that already have fencing have seen a significant reduction in pedestrian incidents, said police.

Open Conversations. Asking parents and guardians to have open conversations with young people about highway safety. Talk to your son or daughter about the following topics -

• Phones down, heads up when walking: 1 in 4 high school students cross the road while distracted
• Cross at the corner, no shortcuts: crossing at someplace other than an intersection accounts for 70% of child pedestrian deaths
• Be alert when it is dark: 3/4 of teen pedestrian deaths take place between 7 pm and 7 am when it is dark out.

Motorist help. If you see people crossing the highway at locations they should not be, call the South Brunswick Police Department at (732) 329-4646 to report it. This will allow the department to improve tracking of problem locations.

The department said that so far in 2020, 132 pedestrians have died on New Jersey roads, with Rivera being one of the youngest.

“My goal is to have zero pedestrian accidents and only with the support of the entire community can we make it happen,” said Hayducka.