Are You Aware of New Jerseys Safe Passing Law? Here’s What You Need to Know
This past weekend was absolutely crazy at the Jersey Shore.
It was the Fourth of July weekend, so of course where I live (Seaside Heights) was flooded with vacationers.
The few times I drove onto the main land even, to hit the gym, grocery shop and swing by a few station events, it was equally as hectic.
On Sunday morning as I was getting ready for my second 'long run' of the week, I was appalled by the lack of awareness some of the drivers had driving through Seaside Heights.
At one point, I actually watched a vehicle clip a biker, and continue driving like nothing happened.
Fortunately the biker was not injured, and the driver wasn't going more than 5 miles per hour but even still after checking in on the guy it was clear to me that people were not focusing on the road.
This is an issue even outside of holiday weekends, and according to an article published to NJ.com a 'Safe Passing Law' has been in effect for several months.
Now, just because a law was passed doesn't necessarily mean that people are aware of the law.
This, according to NJ.com's Larry Higg's has been an issue;
The state Division of Highway Traffic Safety awarded a $78,342 grant to a cycling and pedestrian advocacy group to create the Safe Passing 4 NJ resource website and education program, which launched in May. But the division’s own website didn’t mention that website or link to it until last week.
From what I understand, the law is in place to assure pedestrians and bikers are given an ample amount of room on our roads.
4 feet of space to be exact.
If you see someone walking, jogging, or biking while you're driving down the road, legally you have to give them that 4 foot safety net when you pass.
And let's say you can't pass while leaving the legal amount of space?
Time to slow down to a safe speed and wait until you can pass safely around the pedestrian.
What happens if you don't obey the Safe Passing Law?
Violating these guidelines will result in a driver receiving a fine of $500 and two motor vehicle points, if bodily harm is caused. If no injury occurs, the fine is $100.
As someone who has had several points throughout the years trust me when I saw it's easier to slow down, leave plenty of room, and
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