bicycle accidents

Drivers in New Jersey now face new regulations aimed at making the State’s roadways safer for all users – motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists alike.

On August 5, Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law measures intended to decrease the number of accidents involving motor vehicles and others using the roads by requiring drivers to move over a lane when passing pedestrians, bicyclists or scooter riders. If changing lanes cannot be done safely, drivers are required to slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. Failure to comply could result in fines and possible points against the driver’s license.

The pandemic and its related restrictions resulted in less vehicular traffic but more people walking and riding bikes and scooters on the roads. With restrictions now loosening and more people returning to their places of employment, motor vehicle traffic is on an uptick. NJ State Police records show that the number of pedestrian fatalities reported so far this year almost match the number reported for 2020 and are on track to result in an increase of 60%. To learn more about this new law read, “Drivers must now move over when passing people walking and on bikes.”

Each year as summer approaches, more and more bicyclists hit the road to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer daylight hours. Whether you are riding on a major street or on a back country road, sharing the road with other motor vehicles presents a risk for serious injury. According to the most recently available statistics, there were more than 800 bicycle fatalities on U.S. roads in 2015. That number represents over 2% of all U.S. traffic deaths for that year.

New Jersey has laws about sharing the road designed to make it safer for both motorists and cyclists. The laws for cyclists cover everything from safety equipment to where on the road they should ride. To learn more about how to keep yourself and your family members safe while bicycling this summer, read “NJ Bike Laws and Safety – Here’s What You Should Know.”

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