Taking an evening stroll or bike ride is a great way to relax, exercise, or just to get from point A to point B. Unfortunately, in some locations, New Jersey streets have become a bit more tough to navigate and we should all take care when we go for a walk or ride at night. In fact, statistically it has been demonstrated that it is much more dangerous to walk or bike at night, as both pedestrians and cyclists are more likely to be involved in a crash once the sun goes down.
                                                  
The Statistics
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration statistics from 2003-2005 have shown a fairly steady rate of pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities between the hours of 6:00 pm and 6:00 am. Specifically:

• 49.5 percent of all bicyclist fatalities and 33 percent of all bicyclist injuries happen between these hours

• For pedestrians, 62.4 percent of fatalities and 40.7 percent of all injuries occur during this time

• On weekends, these numbers grow even larger for pedestrians; on Saturdays and Sundays, 82.6 percent of fatalities and 65.9 percent of injuries occur between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.

• Of the 378 pedestrian fatalities that occurred in New Jersey during 2001-2003, 61 percent occurred in “conditions of darkness.”

 

Such statistics illustrate the risks posed to pedestrians and bicyclists

at night, with visibility being the most apparent difference between day and night conditions on the road.

 

Although we don’t know the proportion of day vs. night trips, it is generally conceded that the preponderance of bicycle and pedestrian trips take place during the day, making these statistics even more alarming.  It is evident that additional efforts should be undertaken to tackle nighttime safety.

 

Street Lighting
According to the 2005 Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) report, Pedestrian Lighting in New Jersey, 174 of the 231 pedestrian fatalities in New Jersey that happened at night between 2001-2003 (or 75 percent) occurred in locations with the presence of street lighting. (Note: This statistic excludes unknown conditions and periods of dusk and dawn when lights may or may not have been on due to changing light conditions.) Interestingly, while lighting seems to be present at many accident scenes, it does not seem to eliminate the hazard to pedestrians. This seeming incongruity stems from the fact that most street lighting standards are designed to address the needs of adjoining land uses and the roadway and its vehicular traffic, rather than the needs and safety of bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

 

The VTC report also found that there