Police officers are posing as pedestrians in New Jersey in an attempt to save lives.
The effort by undercover cops is designed to curb the high number of vehicle-related pedestrian deaths in Essex County, N.J., according to WCBS 880 News Radio and NJ.com.
New Jersey residents risk their lives every day by crossing busy intersections because many stubborn drivers often refuse to stop, or at least slow down. That's where the feds come in.
South Orange and Montclair have started a federally-funded program that places undercover police officers dressed in plain clothes in crosswalks to monitor motorists.
Violators — those who don’t yield to crossing pedestrians — are pulled over by other, uniformed officers parked just a few bocks away, according to NJ.com. The fine? A $100 ticket and two points on their license.
In a period of seven weeks, more than 800 tickets were issued to offenders, according to WCBS 880. Sgt. Dan Pronti said one driver even swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid stopping for a pedestrian.
Click here to listen to the interview on WCBS 880.com.
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