New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy visited Maplecrest Park in Maplewood today to sign a bill — A4765/S4146 — requiring that both driver’s education curriculum and the driver’s examination include information about a driver’s responsibilities when approaching a pedestrian operating a bicycle or personal conveyance, as well as the associated penalties for failing to comply with these responsibilities.
The legislation comes after the formation of the Target Zero Commission — a 13-member group charged with identifying and implementing strategies to eliminate serious roadway injuries and fatalities in the state by 2040 — aimed at combatting the rise in pedestrian fatalities in the state.
Included in the signing were the family of Nikhil Badlani, who died in a traffic accident on Wyoming Avenue in South Orange in 2011, as well as Cate Schoenborn, a Maplewood Middle School student who was seriously injured when she was struck by a car crossing Prospect Street last fall…
“This bill marks a crucial step in advancing awareness of New Jersey’s Safe Passing Law and, in particular, ensuring drivers fully understand their responsibility to protect pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users when they’re behind the wheel,” said Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP,PP, Executive Director, Voorhees Transportation Center, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.