50°
Last year, there were seven fatal crashes on the state highway. These crashes resulted in eight deaths with five being pedestrians and one being a bicyclist, the county said.
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, there have been 11,251 crashes on the White Horse Pike since 2010. Of these crashes, 3,894 caused injuries and 80 were fatal. More than 7,000 of these crashes involved driver inattention or distracted driving and 692 involved unsafe speed, the county said.
“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,” said Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay. “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.”
Under the initiative, 14 local police departments would monitor the highway to improve driver and pedestrian safety. Officers will focus mainly on aggressive and distracted driving as well as seatbelt enforcement, the count said. White Horse Pike is part of Route 130 and is normally patrolled by New Jersey State Police.
In addition, more resources from the state Division of Highway Safety will be provided to support the crackdown. The county did not provide details on the cost.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Camden and receive free news updates.
