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December 14, 2004

Effort to Improve Night Driving Conditions Part of National Trend

In the weeks to come, drivers in Woodbridge Township will be increasingly seeing red – and yellow – and be glad they did.

Reflectorized, colored metal strips have been installed on several stop signs and pedestrian warning signs at high traffic areas in the Township, red reflectors for stop signs, yellow reflectors for warning signs. The strips are illuminated by oncoming headlights and make the sign shape and lettering immediately more visible to motorists.

“Drawing extra attention to traffic signs along busy thorofares helps drivers and pedestrians see the signs and process the information more quickly,” says Mayor Frank G. Pelzman.

According to the National Safety Council, the number of people killed in traffic accidents at night is three times higher than during the day, despite less traffic volume after dark.

In addition, say traffic safety experts, a large proportion of nighttime crashes are single-vehicle, run-off-the-road crashes, suggesting that a driver’s inability to recognize delineation, guidance or warning information is a contributing factor. Lack of visibility also contributes to numerous accidents involving pedestrians.

“We believe the reflectorized signs are an excellent method of heightening awareness and visibility of the signs, especially at night and in bad weather conditions,” says Mayor Pelzman.

Red reflector strips are currently installed on stop signs at New Dover and Colonia Boulevard, Elmwood and North Park Drive, Elmwood and South Park Drive, East Green & Melbourne Court, Barron & Freeman Streets. Yellow reflector strips are installed on pedestrian warning signs at pedestrian crosswalks along Main Street and Green Street in downtown Woodbridge.

“This is a project we felt we needed to get into place as quickly as possible,” says Mayor Pelzman. “Ultimately, we would like to secure funding to add reflectors to every Township traffic sign that needs it.”