In Summit it’s “Heads Up, Phones Down”
Summit is a walkable community with a vibrant downtown complete with shops, restaurants, businesses, parks, and a busy train station. It’s a great family town and a wonderful place to live.
But did you know that between 2013 and 2015, there were 34 pedestrian-related crashes in Summit? And of those crashes, 85% resulted in a pedestrian being injured. Summit also ranked #9 in pedestrian crashes in Union County between 2013 and 2015.
To address these startling statistics, the City of Summit has decided to participate in Street Smart Summit, a pedestrian safety initiative focusing on outreach, education and enforcement designed to change unsafe behavior by pedestrians and drivers in Summit.
The Street Smart campaign is launching this month to coincide with the start of back to school. The focus will be on reducing accidents to prevent injury, while increasing compliance of life-saving traffic and pedestrian safety laws. The Summit Police Department is partnering with TransOptions, a non-profit transportation group serving northern New Jersey, to deliver the program.
“Every time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle or cross the street, you need to be alert and ready to respond to the unexpected,” explains Summit Police Chief Robert Weck. “The goal of the Street Smart campaign is to educate motorists and pedestrians on how to more safely share the road. It is our continuing priority to make Summit a safer community for walking, biking and driving.”
The campaign uses the slogan “check your vital signs” to remind motorists and pedestrians to be aware of their surroundings. Vital signs are displayed on tip cards, posters and temporary street signs throughout the community as a visual reminder for drivers and pedestrians.
For more information on TransOptions and the Street Smart campaign in other municipalities, go to transoptions.org or contact Laura Cerutti at 973-267-7600 or lcerutti@transoptions.org. For additional details on Street Smart Summit, please visit cityofsummit.org.
