White Horse Pike getting $400K safety initiative aimed at making highway safer for cars, pedestrians
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- Officials in South Jersey announced a new $400,000 safety initiative aimed at making White Horse Pike safer for drivers and pedestrians.
The Camden County Prosecutor's Office and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety on Monday announced the traffic safety initiative as White Horse Pike has seen an increase in accidents over the years. The initiative will be funded by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
In 2023, there were seven fatal crashes on White Horse Pike. The crashes resulted in eight deaths, including five who were pedestrians and one bicyclist, according to a release.
"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 in a release. "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 focus on working with 14 police agencies through the White Horse Pike corridor of Camden County, according to a release, including addressing aggressive and distracted driving and focusing on seat belt safety and pedestrian safety.
Since 2010, there have been 11,251 crashes on White Horse Pike, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Out of all the crashes, 3,894 caused injuries and 80 were fatal, according to NJDOT. More than 7,000 of the crashes involved drivers not being focused enough at the wheel or distracted driving, along with 692 that involved people speeding.
"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., the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said in a release. "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 Division of Highway Traffic Safety is also working with other traffic safety partners in the area, including AAA.
"AAA South Jersey is proud to support this lifesaving initiative in any way we can," Matt Bowker, an AAA spokesperson, said. "Recent AAA research has shown that many motorists perceive unsafe driving behaviors -- speeding, aggressive driving, distracted driving -- as dangerous, but many still admitted to doing these behaviors in the previous 30 days. Through this collaboration, we hope to educate drivers about these dangers to reach our shared goal of zero deaths."