Bilingual Street Signs Coming to New Brunswick

It’s not in an effort to promote multiculturalism, but to promote driver safety in some of New Brunswick’s least safe streets. A campaign urging motorists who may not have adequate knowledge of English to “slow down” only in Spanish!

So the question I have for you is this:

Do you feel that street signs should be in English and Spanish to insure safety on the road?

According to this:

The Puerto Rican Action Board launched Middlesex County’s first bilingual Slow Down signage campaign to increase traffic safety on Wednesday.

The effort to erect signs that read “Slow Down/Mas Despacio” was announced by PRAB Executive Director Mario S. Vargas, Mayor James Cahill, Middlesex County Freeholder H. James Polos, Sgt. Raymond Trigg of the city Police Department’s Traffic Unit and Rabbi Bennett F. Miller in front of his temple on Livingston Avenue.

Vargas said…“New Brunswick is looking for new and innovative methods to reduce the number of cross-intersection crashes,” “The ‘Slow Down/Mas Despacio’ campaign will increase traffic safety for New Brunswick residents and visitors along Livingston Avenue between Suydam and Sanford streets, one of the city’s most highly traveled areas.”

Half in Spanish and half in English, the 20 signs along the thoroughfare will offer a unique opportunity to educate pedestrians and drivers (in both languages) and change driving behaviors.

Part of the countywide Slow Down In Our Town campaign, the city effort marks the first signs that are said

According to Freeholder Polos, who’s also chair of the Middlesex County Public Safety and Health Committee...“speeding in local neighborhoods is a concern for every parent and pedestrian,” he said. “Slow Down in Our Town has been a success in many of our communities throughout the county. We believe that it can improve traffic safety along Livingston Avenue area.”

The forthcoming signs are among several efforts to make city streets more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, Cahill said.

Normally the issue of the use of any language other than English by a governmental body is as hot a topic as you can get.

However, if it deals with public safety, can it be a bad thing?

Wouldn’t it be easier to replace signs that say “slow down” or “mas despacio”, with speed limit signs, no?

I think numbers are fairly universal. Most cars that I know of have speedometers with universally recognized numerals.

Wouldn’t that get the message across just as plainly as “mas despacio”? I mean, after all, isn't "20" pretty much "mas despacio" any way you look at it?

Do you agree with a driver safety program that would display street signs in English and Spanish?