New Jersey Pedestrian Law

Casey’s Story is Impetus for Passage of N.J. Pedestrian Safety Law

A new law went into effect on April 1, 2010 in New Jersey, “Casey’s Law”, requiring motorists to come to a complete stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks as well as for pedestrians crossing at intersections where there are no marked crosswalks. This is the first change in N.J. law regarding pedestrian safety in more than 50 yrs. and comes in the aftermath of some 157 pedestrian fatalities in the state in 2009, more than double the national average. It represents some 27 percent of car crash fatalities, giving N.J. the ranking of number 1 in the nation in pedestrian deaths.

Dianne Anderson and Joel Feldman, Casey’s parents, participated in press conferences with N.J. officials throughout the state on Mar. 31, 2010 announcing the law to the public. Casey was crossing the street in a crosswalk at an intersection controlled by 4 way stop signs during daylight hours when she was struck by a distracted driver in July, 2009. Her death, which occurred in the shore community of Ocean City, received widespread media attention and provided a significant impetus for the passage of the new law.

In the photo above, courtesy of the Press of Atlantic City, Dianne is speaking at the Ocean City press conference. You may click on the photo above or here to go directly to the photo gallery to see more photos from the press conferences and view the TV news clips.

To read the various news stories and view the TV news clips about “Casey’s Law”, visit the media coverage page and scroll down to 2010 New Jersey Pedestrian Law.