39:4-36.3 Findings, declarations relative to pedestrian safety. 1. The Legislature finds and declares: a. every year almost 5,000 pedestrians are killed in automobile accidents in the United States, accounting for roughly 12 percent of all persons killed in motor vehicle crashes; b. in New Jersey, from 1996 to 2001, the number of pedestrian fatalities declined by an average of seven percent per year; but this promising trend ended in 2002 when the number of pedestrian deaths in the State increased 26 percent from 2001; c. the 183 pedestrian fatalities in 2002 constitute 23 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the State, the highest rate since 1993; and d. therefore, it is fitting and appropriate that this State assess the safety of its intersections and take steps to increase the safety of its pedestrians. L.2005,c.158,s.1.
New Jersey Legal Code