By The New Jersey Department of Transportation
When people see damaged vehicles and emergency responders on the road, they might say they saw a car accident. But the truth is, most crashes are not accidents, or something that was random and unavoidable. Instead, many of the incidents that cause fatalities or serious injuries on our roadways are preventable events with human consequences.
Crashes are often the result of a choice someone made – to speed, check a phone, cross without looking, cut someone off, or drive while distracted or intoxicated. The stakes are especially high for the most vulnerable among us. Children. Older adults. People with disabilities. Road workers and first responders. In an instant, one wrong choice can forever change – or end – a life.
Earlier this year, Governor Murphy launched an ambitious statewide initiative called Target Zero, with one simple but bold goal: to eliminate roadway deaths and serious injuries on New Jersey roadways by 2040. New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Fran O’Connor has been named Chair of the Target Zero Commission and set a goal to deliver an action plan by the end of the year.
“Some might see the Target Zero goal as unrealistic,” admits O’Connor. “But when it comes to the loss of human lives, there simply is no acceptable number other than zero – not for the families who’ve lost loved ones, the first responders who witness the aftermath, or the communities torn apart by tragedy.”
“Other cities around the world have successfully achieved this goal, so New Jersey can, too,” O’Connor added. “But it’s going to take smart design, a change in behavior, and shared responsibility.”
One of the ways NJDOT and other transportation agencies plan to tackle this challenge is by using the Safe System Approach, a roadway design and safety strategy that accepts human mistakes as inevitable – but insists that fatal outcomes are not.
It calls for building multiple layers of protection into our transportation network: safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, and safer people. And it recognizes that the responsibility doesn’t fall on any one group. Government agencies, engineers, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, automakers, and everyday citizens all play a role.
NJDOT is working to create more forgiving streetscapes that prioritize the most vulnerable roadway users. Governor Murphy is committed to improving safety at the 10 most dangerous intersections in the state, and NJDOT is in the process of deploying critical upgrades and cutting-edge safety countermeasures at these locations. “We’re installing technology that can automatically detect pedestrians and adjust signal timing, along with systems that can help prevent crashes caused by red-light running,” O’Connor says. “We’re not stopping at 10. This is just the beginning of a statewide intersection safety improvement initiative.”
But this isn’t just a job for government. Everyone who uses our roadways has the power to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
- Put the phone down.
- Slow down in neighborhoods and school zones.
- Give cyclists and pedestrians the space they need.
- Never drive impaired.
- Treat every trip like lives are at stake – because they are.
“We can’t bring back the lives already lost. But together, we can honor them by making sure no more names are added to the list,” O’Connor says.
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