Bill Text: NJ AR159 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Federal Highway Administration and DOT to develop improved traffic signs to protect children.*
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2013-05-21 - Filed with Secretary of State [AR159 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-AR159-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SCOTT RUDDER
District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)
Assemblywoman CELESTE M. RILEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
SYNOPSIS
Urges DOT to develop improved traffic signs to protect children.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the Department of Transportation to protect children by improving design standards for traffic signs.
Whereas, As set forth in the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the Department of Transportation has adopted regulations which establish standards governing the design of traffic control devices, including traffic signs which guide or alert motorists to road conditions, in areas where children are commonly present; and
Whereas, The current design of traffic signs used where children are frequently present in New Jersey do not adequately warn or alert unsuspecting drivers that children may be in the area; and
Whereas, For example, traffic signs designed to alert drivers of the requirement to either yield or stop for school children using an in-street crosswalk do not contain any word or symbol that is easily identified as relating specifically to children; and
Whereas, On certain traffic signs, the "school children" symbol appears similar to the "pedestrian" symbol, and thus fails to provide a driver with a heightened sense of caution necessary to protect children; and
Whereas, Traffic in, and around, school zones can create significant hazards for children and teens, leaving children at higher risk of being struck by a vehicle while walking in or alongside roadways than the general population; and
Whereas, In 2010, the most recent year for which data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is available, nearly 20 percent of children between the ages of five and nine who were killed in traffic accidents in the United States were pedestrians; and
Whereas, Pedestrians generally constitute a large portion of individuals who are killed or injured in traffic related accidents every year, with children aged 15 and under especially vulnerable to such dangers; and
Whereas, According to the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club, a pedestrian who is struck by a vehicle traveling 25 miles per hour is two-thirds less likely to be killed than if he or she is hit by a car that is traveling only ten miles per hour faster; and
Whereas, Various programs have been implemented to educate children and parents about the importance of pedestrian safety, but such measures can only be effective if an otherwise unsuspecting driver is alerted to the increased danger by an appropriate traffic control device; and
Whereas, An improvement upon the current design of child related devices that results in increased driver awareness could be the difference between a minor incident and a tragedy; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey urges the Department of Transportation to improve upon existing design standards for traffic signs in order to provide enhanced protection for children.
2. Authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested to by the Clerk thereof, shall be sent to Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and to the Bureau of Traffic Engineering within the Division of Traffic Engineering and Safety of the Department of Transportation.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the Department of Transportation to develop improved design standards for traffic signs used to protect children. The current designs of these devices do not adequately warn unsuspecting drivers and protect the children walking on or alongside public roadways. Children face an elevated risk of being struck by a vehicle compared with the general population. Throughout the United States, pedestrians constitute a large portion of those individuals who are killed or injured in traffic related accidents every year, with children aged 15 and under especially vulnerable to such dangers. Further, a pedestrian who is struck by a vehicle traveling 25 miles per hour is two-thirds less likely to be killed than if he or she was hit by a car traveling only ten miles per hour faster. The ability of children to fully comprehend these risks must be supplemented by increased driver awareness in order to adequately protect children. The Department of Transportation is urged to improve upon existing design standards for traffic signs in order to provide enhanced protection for children.
