Penalties Must Be Stiffer For Leaving Scene and Inattentive Driving

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A Two River Times Editorial

RECENTLY, A WOMAN with ties to the Two River Times was almost seriously injured on Broad Street in Red Bank. She was crossing legally by Robinson’s Ale House, not texting or darting in front of cars. The driver of the vehicle approaching the crosswalk also acted responsibility and stopped for her to cross safely. The person behind that driver inexplicitly crashed into the stopped car and could have killed the woman who was crossing legally if it had not been for her lightning-fast reflexes. The driver behind the car who legally stopped, hit it from behind and forced the first car forward into the crosswalk. The woman’s shoes were found halfway under the first car because she is young and leapt to safety. Thankfully, it did not end in yet another fatality in Red Bank. But it easily could have.
What’s the answer? Education and Enforcement, two of the pillars of the Crossroads initiative spearheaded by the Two River Times and supported by officials of Red Bank, Fair Haven, Middletown, Sens. Joseph Kyrillos and Jennifer Beck, as well as stakeholders Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank RiverCenter, Newport Media Holdings, LLC and neighborhood safety groups. Attentive driving and walking have to be the norm. People must be educated and then enforcement must take place to drive the point home. Lives are at stake. The Two River Times is sponsoring a safety and public input forum – date and venue soon to be announced. Police officers from Red Bank and Middletown will educate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians about what is legal and what is not. And then the public will be asked to offer trouble spots and possible solutions to this dreadful and frightening problem. The newspaper will moderate.
The Two River Times is also calling on legislators to increase penalties of those drivers who leave the scene of an accident as in the case of the tragic death of a 15 year-old hit on Route 36 in Middletown. No one should hit a human being and leave the scene and not pay a dear price for such actions. Inattentive drivers who crash into cars who are stopped legally to allow safe pedestrian crossings, should also be subject to stiff penalties and fines.
There are fewer drunk young drivers because of the heavy penalties. This generation, it is proven, designates drivers far more than the older generation. Seat belt use increased and cellphone use decreased because of enforcement. Now inattentive driving, no matter the cause, must also be enforced as well as leaving the scene of an accident.
Please join us at the forum and offer your solutions and outline problematic areas. Together we can resolve this issue. And it’s an issue we must resolve. No further loss of life is justifiable.