VIDEO: As the Mayor’s ‘Lights On’ campaign begins to come to fruition, the Mayor together with Yehuda Abraham – the Township’s Purchasing Agent – have launched the next campaign to make Lakewood a better and safer place for pedestrians.
The Mayor and Yehuda Abraham announced that they have launched a ‘Reflector Belt’ campaign in order to improve an issue which has plagued the town over the last few years.
Over the last year in Lakewood, an astounding 101 pedestrians were struck by vehicles, 5 of those fatally.
Yehuda Abraham, himself a victim of such an incident, decided to bring this to the Mayor’s attention and launch a community-wide reflector belt campaign.
“I am thankful, B’H, to be alive today”, Yehuda Abraham – who was struck by a vehicle 3 years ago, says. “So when I drive at night on Clifton and Forest Avenues, where the speed limit is 35mph, I am fearful for bochurim and yungerleit dressed entirely in black and crossing the roads”, Yehuda says.
Mayor Menashe Miller was especially receptive to the idea and has spearheaded the acquisition of reflector belts for Lakewood residents, from the County.
“As an Orthodox Jew, we wear dark clothing”, the Mayor said. “We need the public to understand that walking around at night is dangerous.” “We’re invisible, it’s dark outside, it could be rainy, it could be slippery”, the Mayor says.
So ‘Shabbos of Reflection’ was launched, and next Shabbos, Parshas Tetzaveh, was named as the official week to kick-off the campaign.
Yehuda Abraham and the Mayor have already spoken to Rabbonim of 24 Shuls in town who readily agreed to speak to their congregants about reflector safety and the importance of wearing reflectors, on Shabbos and during the week.
Additionally, the Halochos regarding wearing a belt on Shabbos, attached here, will be posted in each Shul.
“Even one accident is one too many”, said Mayor Miller, “and it is incumbent upon us to do what we can, V’nishmartem Me’od Es Nafshoseichem is our responsibility for our safety and the safety of our children.”
But it’s not just the Orthodox community the Mayor’s looking out for.
“Make no mistake, my plan is to include the entire Lakewood community in this initiative”, Mayor Miller says. “I plan on reaching out to all community leaders and faculty of the Lakewood Public Schools to assist with this endeavor”, Miller said.
The Mayor added, “I thank Yehuda Abraham for coming forward with this idea, picking up the ball and running with it to get this project jump started.”
Last night, at the Republican Club meeting, the Mayor – among other issues – address the reflector belt campaign, and publicy asked that the Sheriff try and aquire more belts for the Lakewood residents. (See VIDEO below).
So, ‘Be seen and don’t make a scene.’ TLS.
are the very senior rabbis going to wear them?
This is such an important subject! I’m glad it is finally being addressed.
these reflectors are nothing more than a social band-aid.
distracted drivers are going to keep being distracted.
what needs to be implemented is a lesson on HOW TO CROSS THE STREET.
it seems more people are darting out in front of cars, than cars crashing into people standing at the cross-walks.
I was recently going around with a meshulach and when we got to the Mayor’s house aside from the tzedakah his wife gave, she also handed us reflector belts!
I applaud the Mayor for taking a leadership roll on this issue. We all talk about it yet no one has done anything about it.
Hatzlacha Rabbah!
I was just at the municipal building yesterday and picked up a reflector belt from the Mayor’s office. They are giving them out for free if you to commit to wearing it.
You gotta give this guy credit, he zeros in on an issue and sees it through to fruition.
Only an orthodox Mayor can say it straight out and the way it is. I like the way he said “as an orthodox jew that wears black clothing we are practically invisable at night”.
He hit the nail on the head.
Mr. Mayor – you have my support!
How do we get the schools to require the older grades that walk at night to wear these reflector belts?
Spend the gelt – buy a belt!!
First street lights, now reflectors, what’s next?
whats next is anything that will save lives and increase the safety of the residents. Actually if you watched the video the Mayor thanks and asks the public to bring ideas to him.
I almost hit a young bochur yesterday while turning onto 7th street and I really didn’t see him until I was literally a few yards away.
way to go! kol hamekayem nefesh achas… what a zechus!
To the last comment, Moshe…
What do you mean “what’s next”? Are you concerned that you will be forced to wrap yourself in a Saran-Wrap like reflective garment? Are you concerned that you will have to carry around a search light? Are you worried that you will have to wear all white clothing which will act as a constant reminder of either Yom Kippur or your Seder table? Are you worried that the government is taking over your life?
Just be thankful that we have a Mayor who is interested in avoiding your – G-D Forbid – untimely passing at the bumper of an SUV!
Can one where sun glasses in Reshus Harabim on Shabbos?
The next thing is to find all the potholes.
Finally!! Finally!!! Someone cares enough to do something about this serious issue!! Thank you Mr. Mayor.
It is important to wear reflectors at night!
The following website has a wide selection of reflective gear. From their ‘about us’ page, it seems it is run by someone in Lakewood;
http://www.dontgethit.com
Mayor Miller cares about all Lakewood residents. Pedestrians need to be seen to avoid accidents.
Keep up the good work, Mayor Miller
its all very nice and dandy but ultimately the town is very poorly lit which is the real reason for most of the accidents
why are we faulting the pedestrians who arent wearing a reflector when the township is responsible for putting in proper lighting which we still dont have?? we are paying enough taxes we screamed for many years until we got sidewalks now its time to scream until we have proper lighting for get the side streets for now even the avenues are poorly light. let the township do its job instaed of faulting the citizens who live here.of course we should wear reflectors as waiting for the township to do its job will unfortunatly not happen too quickly
#22 –
As it is the Mayor is suing JCP&L for not fixing and repairing the lights. I wouldn’t push the envelope to getting additional lights before they even repair what they got!!
Menashe –
You put your money where your mouth is! You preached wearing reflector belts AND made sure to get them for FREE! Keep up the gret work.
When I drive to Lakewood to visit my son-in-law and daughter I’m ALWAYS nervous about c”v hitting someone walking. This idea is amazing and this Mayor is top stuff!
Hey Lakewooders,
I’m an avid reader of this blog-site ever since stumbling on it by accident. I could only WISH our Mayor was as personable and modest as yours! His ideas are priceless and leadership skills are legendary. But to be honest, you guys all need to learn how slow down when you drive!
I would suggest that where there is a sidewalk you should use it. So many times I see people walking in the street at night or even by day where they can be walking on a sidewalk. Also cross by a crosswalk if there is one and don’t cross before looking both ways.
Shkayach R’ Yehuda! This idea reflects well on you!
How about every rov in town declare that putting your life at risk (i.e going out at night, in black, with no reflector). is worse than eating bacon, worse than breaking shabbos ***WHICH IT IS***
that will solve this problem overnight and every erlich yid in town will never go out at night without reflective gear.
mr mayor put some more of me up all around our town
driving around here is nuts !
ty
a reflector is a segulah for arichas yomim-Wear it!
anyone know what the p’sak is regarding wearing a reflector belt on shabbos outside an eiruv?
‘As orthodox jews we wear black and therefore cannot be seen at night’ said the mayor- but most of us wear white shirts (at least on sunday its white) so just curious why our white shirts cannot serve as a reflectors? (at least on sunday and maybe monday)
NO 3 mr conservative right on!
this is a bad idea. we should focus our energy on teaching people how to walk the streets and how to drive. all reflectors do is give the pedestrian a false sense of security. they end up taking more chances at night because they “assume” all the cars can see them. if you stay on the sidewalk, look in all directions before you cross-things you earned in pre 1a you wont get hit by a car whether your wearing black or yellow.
And Cool Masmid is back!!!
Risen from the dead! With a geshmake shaileh! Out of the park!
White color doesn’t reflect light, white IS reflected light.
White is the reflection of every wavelength.
But if the reflector belt doesn’t work for you, you can always take off your shirt and wrap it around your waste.
There is a company called shimrawear that sells reflectors designed for the frum community, http://www.shmirawear.com. I bought one of the black reflective belts and I get great comments on it all the time. I bought the reflective slap bracelets for my kids and they even wera them to sleep!
Kol HaKavod to everyone who sets a good example by wearing a reflector!
this needs constant encouragement.
There are 2 reasons cars & pedestrians come into contact.
1) cars plowing into people(poor visability, intoxicated drivers, etc)
2) pedestrians walking into cars to close to stop in time.(no concept on how to cross the street)
IN LAKEWOOD = WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PEDESTRIANS WALKING INTO TRAFFIC! (so thats were the focus needs to be placed)
IF SOMEONE IS GOING TO WALK INTO TRAFFIC, EVEN IN DAY-LIGHT & WEARING WHITE ISNT GOING TO HELP YOU!
Schools, and places of worship need to re-teach the age old lesson on how to cross the street!!!!
All this is going to do, is give a false sense of security to those who think they are going to be seen when running in front of a car.
To #33: How is a driver able to see your white shirt UNDER your black jacket?
To Reb Rambo: Do you want us to wrap a white shirt around the WASTE or WAIST? It is important to spell correctly. It is unfortunate that in Lakewood THERE, THEIR and THEY’RE are used interchangeably. Hopefully you are not a Baal Koreh or writer of Gittin.
Thank you to Y. Abraham for the excellent idea, and to the mayor for running with it!
thank you Rabbi Abraham for finding yet another way tro help Lakewood!