Other police departments weigh-in on summer safety
MARGATE – Margate City Police and the Milton & Betty Katz JCC issued an advisory this week about safely dropping off campers at the JCC, 501 N. Jerome Ave. It was one of numerous advisories issued by Downbeach police departments over the last few weeks about things your mamma taught you, such as look both ways before you cross the street, wear your bicycle helmet and drive 25, the speed limit in all three Downbeach communities.
According to a post on the Margate Police Facebook page, “The safety of your children is the highest priority of the Margate City Police Department and we would like to remind all parents, and those frequenting the area of some basic traffic safety.”
Margate police recommend crossing only at marked crosswalks located on the corner of Jerome Avenue and Fulton Avenues. The advisory stated that it is “dangerous to cross Jerome Avenue in the morning anywhere but at the light.”
Stopping in the middle of the four-lane roadway in front of the entrance to the JCC is not safe.
“We know it’s tough to find a good spot to let your children off in the morning, but just stopping, putting on the flashers and getting out is not a great idea. Please use the area along Fulton Ave or spend the extra time to find an open spot and walk up safely,” police advise.
Cell phone usage is problematic when your children’s safety is at hand, they said
“A child in one hand and a phone in the other means that 100% of your attention isn’t where it belongs – on the child,” police said.
Children should not cross the intersection alone, but with an adult.
As with all street-crossings, especially in congested areas or on four-lane roads, police say pedestrians should not assume cars will stop. Although state regulations give pedestrians the right of way when crossing intersections where there are no traffic lights, stepping into the roadway expecting a 2-ton vehicle to see you and stop in time is an accident waiting to happen.
“It’s best to figure that every car is driven by a frazzled parent just like you who has struggled to get their kid up and moving and out the door. And, just like you, their mind is racing in a million different directions with daily stresses,” the advisory stated.
Ventnor Police are also offering advisories on social media in hopes of reaching visitors to the resort town with what could be lifesaving information.
Motorists are required to stop when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, but pedestrians are supposed to wait until traffic is clear before stepping into the street.
“If you happen upon a person crossing at such an intersection, you have to stop for them if they are in the roadway. If they are crossing outside of a marked crosswalk or outside of an intersection, the law states you have to yield, not stop for them,” according to a recent Ventnor Police Facebook post.
“Pedestrians think they can cross against a red light or assume a 2-ton vehicle will magically stop when they step into the street,” Ventnor Police Chief Doug Biagi said. “Mom’s rules are definitely the way to go.”
On June 1, Ventnor joined Margate, Longport and Atlantic City in reducing the speed limit on Atlantic Avenue to 25-miles-per-hour. Until then, Ventnor’s speed limit was 35, but the speed limit was reduced to accommodate the installation of bicycle lanes through Ventnor, which made the lanes of traffic slightly smaller.
“It takes 4.5 minutes to drive through Ventnor,” Biagi said. “That’s less than two songs on the radio. Increasing your speed to the old 35 would only save a minute on your commute. Slow down, especially in summer when the town is buzzing with visitors.”
In Longport, where Atlantic Avenue is one-way in each direction with bike lanes, it may be easier to cross the street. There, police are issuing a different “what would momma do” advisory.
The department is promoting the #9 p.m.Routine – lock your car doors and keep valuables out of sight.
The “hide it, lock it, keep it” campaign is designed to prevent visitors, who may have a false sense of security because they are on vacation, from becoming a victim of theft.
Police also recommend keeping your house, front and rear gates, and especially your garage doors locked at all times. Bicycles have disappeared and homes burglarized because thieves know that residents may be lax in following common-sense safety procedures.
For more information, updates and reminders, see the Ventnor, Margate or Longport police departments Facebook pages.
This is part of a series of stories about summer safety at the shore.
