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Officials have launched a $400,000 initiative that aims to make one of the most dangerous roads in New Jersey safer for drivers and pedestrians.
On Monday, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety announced a traffic initiative aimed at cutting down accidents and increasing pedestrian safety on White Horse Pike in Camden County, New Jersey.
The $400,000 initiative is being funded by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
White Horse Pike has seen an increase in car crashes and pedestrian deaths over the past four years. In 2023 alone, there were seven deadly crashes on the highway. Those crashes resulted in eight deaths, with five of the victims being pedestrians and one victim being a bicyclist.
Since 2010, there have been 11,251 crashes on the White Horse Pike, according to the NJ Department of Transportation. Of those crashes, there were 3,894 injuries and 80 deaths. More than 7,000 of those crashes involved driver inattention or distracted driving while 692 of the crashes involved speeding, officials said.
“We have repeatedly seen deadly car crashes on the White Horse Pike and we are determined to reduce the number of lives lost because so many of these incidents can be prevented,” Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said. “And we have noticed a common theme in these crashes: distracted driving and disregarding the speed limit. Too often drivers are looking at their cellphones and ignoring the speed limit, resulting in catastrophe.”
The initiative will feature 14 local police agencies throughout the White Horse Pike corridor and will focus on addressing aggressive and distracted driving as well as seat belt and pedestrian safety.
“This collaboration between municipalities along the White Horse Pike is a testament to our ongoing efforts to combat dangerous driving behaviors and improve pedestrian safety,” Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said. “Thanks to the consistent support of Attorney General Platkin and approximately $400,000 in federal funding for this initiative, we are paving the way towards safer communities, saving lives in Camden County, and setting a precedent for similar initiatives throughout the state.”
The following traffic safety partners from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety are also helping with the initiative:
Will Yarzab, North Jersey Transportation Authority’s Street Smart New Jersey; Chief Michael Morris (Ret.,) liaison to the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police; Matt Bowker, AAA South Jersey; Sue Quick, Valerie Farrow and Wendy Burke, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey; Maureen Donnelly, Safe Kids South Jersey; Mike McCormick, Pat McCormick, NJ Manufacturers Insurance Co.; Joel Feldman, End Distracted Driving.org; Kevin Murphy, Delaware Valley River Planning Commission; and Patrick Farley, Cross County Connection.
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