the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Public Schools, Federated Home and School Association and the Village of Ridgewood wants to keep pedestrians safe.
STOP – LOOK – WAVE – BE SAFE-BE SEEN is a campaign designed to keep everyone safe by reminding drivers and pedestrians to look out for each other. Please read and follow the tips below.
PEDESTRIANS
STOP – Stop at the corner before you cross. Never cross mid-block. Cross at an intersection. Every intersection is a legal crosswalk, even if it is not painted.
LOOK – Put away any devices and look left, right and left again. Be sure to look behind you for any vehicles that might be approaching (75% of pedestrian crashes involve left turning vehicles). Listen for any sounds coming from vehicles that might not be in your view.
WAVE – Make eye contact and wave at drivers in or near the intersection. Wait for them to wave back and/or make eye contact before you begin to cross the street. Continue to look left, right and left again while crossing.
DRIVERS
STOP – Stop if you see a pedestrian at an intersection. Every intersection is a legal crosswalk, even if it is not marked. Once a pedestrian steps into the intersection, they have the right of way.
LOOK – Look for pedestrians as you approach intersections. Be especially careful if you are turning left. Left turning drivers account for 75% of all pedestrian crashes. 5 MPH is a safe turning speed.
WAVE – Wave to pedestrians to acknowledge that you see them and that you will wait for them to cross. Proceed after making sure that no other pedestrians have entered the crosswalk.
BE SAFE – BE SEEN
- Wear colorful, reflective clothing to be more visible to drivers.
- Always walk on the sidewalk.
- Watch for vehicles backing out of driveways and parking lots.
- Do not be distracted. Phones and headphones should not be used while walking.
- While driving, avoid using your phone, even with Bluetooth. Handsfree is not risk-free.
LINKS TO SAFETY INFORMATION FOR PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS AND DRIVERS
YouTube videos on skills for safe walking ages 5 – 18
Distracted Driving Information – Handsfree is Not Risk Free Infographic
Distracted Driving YouTube Video – Handsfree is not risk free
Yes I been saying this for years now. I tell my kids never to Just walk into the road. Stop at the curb and look both ways and make sure the driver sees you ,then and walk across the road. Who came up with that law had their head up their ass. It’s not working isn’t it. The best is the Commuters in the morning walking to the bus and the train station they are a sleep. And what about the joggers in the am running in the c b d in the dark in the middle of the road, real smart. Oh well when they get hit every one knows now. Right,right.ok good.
About time. Wake up time.
I still have a bumper sticker on my car from when they tried this several years ago. In my opinion it is much more dangerous now to be a driver because all pedestrians feel they have the right of way even in front of a car making a turn or mere feet in front of you. Maybe it is now time to convince some people that a car turning–or especially backing up–or within a few feet of you CAN’T SEE YOU and you should cease walking out without looking first!
True