Do You Brake For Turtles? Keeping Turtles Safe This Summer In New Jersey (Photos)

The summer of 2025 is underway, and as we head into the 4th of July holiday, we are in full swing, and that means not only for us, but also for our slow-moving friends, the turtles. New Jersey has a large turtle population, and this is the time of year they are out and at times taking to our roadways.

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Why Are Turtles In New Jersey Roadways During Summer?

Turtles are looking for proper places to build their nests to lay eggs, so they are out and crossing roads at times to find a great place to lay eggs. The best type of areas are sandy spots on high ground.

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If you live in Ocean or Monmouth Counties, you probably have seen "turtle crossing" signs. Residents have posted these reminders throughout the Jersey Shore to help spare the turtles from being hit by motorists as they make their way to lay eggs this Summer.

Do You Brake For Turtles?

So if you are not already doing so, keep an eye out and give the turtles a "break" this summer and keep them safe. It would be a shame to see our turtle population shrink, and one way to maintain their habitat here at the Jersey Shore it to avoid hitting them.

It's probably a good practice during our busy summer months to slow down on area roadways anyway, so this will keep everyone safe. Lots of kids are out playing this time of year, so a "slow down" helps everyone.