Requires Division of Highway Traffic Safety to conduct public awareness campaign regarding bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Chris DePhillips and 2 co-sponsors

New Jersey creates an immediate public awareness campaign to educate motorists on safe-passing rules for pedestrians and bicyclists, penalties, and recourse.

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee

Summary of Bill A 3109 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Purpose and intent

Establish a public awareness campaign led by the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (within the Department of Law and Public Safety).

The campaign aims to inform the public about bicyclist and pedestrian safety and relevant legal provisions, penalties, and safe-passing standards.

Key provisions

Creation of public awareness campaign

The Director must establish a program to disseminate information on:
Provisions of section 17 of P.L.1951, c.23 (C.39:4-14.2), which relates to penalties and dangers associated with violating the standard of care for motorists when passing pedestrians or bicyclists.
The standard of care for motorists to safely pass a pedestrian or bicyclist on the roadway.
Recourse that may be available against motorists who violate this standard of care.
Provisions of section 1 of P.L.2021, c.194 (C.39:4-92.4), concerning motorists safely passing a pedestrian, bicycle, low-speed electric bicycle, low-speed electric scooter, or any other lawful personal conveyance, and the penalties and dangers associated with violating this provision.
In essence, the bill codifies a requirement for the state to publicly educate about:
Safe-passing rules for motorists
Penalties and risks for violations
Rights and recourse for pedestrians and bicyclists
Specific provisions addressing low-speed electric vehicles or other lawful conveyances

Effective date

The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who/what is affected

Beneficiaries:

Pedestrians and bicyclists in New Jersey, who would gain increased awareness of safety rules and penalties.

State agencies:

Division of Highway Traffic Safety (within the Department of Law and Public Safety) responsible for implementing the campaign.

General public and motorists:

The campaign targets motorists and other road users to promote safer passing practices and reduce violations.

Procedural/timeline aspects

Introduction and referrals:

Introduced on 2026-01-13.
Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee.

No specific campaign duration or funding amounts are provided in the text; the act focuses on establishment and immediate effectiveness.

Potential impact and considerations

Public safety: Expected improvement in bicyclist and pedestrian safety through increased awareness of passing rules and penalties.

Compliance incentives: By highlighting penalties and dangers, motorists may be more careful when sharing roads with non-motorized users.

Scope: Covers both traditional bicycles and other lawful conveyances (including low-speed electric bicycles and scooters), aligning with modern urban mobility.

Implementation: Requires coordination within the Division of Highway Traffic Safety to design, disseminate, and evaluate the campaign.

If you’d like, I can summarize potential fiscal implications, benchmarks for evaluating campaign effectiveness, or provide a plain-language fact sheet that could be used as part of the campaign.