A report recently issued by the New Jersey State Police states a whopping 566 traffic deaths occurred in 2018 alone. Though this figure is quite striking, it is a 9.3% decrease from the year prior in which 624 people perished in auto accidents in New Jersey. The question is what, exactly, is the cause of the dramatic reduction in traffic deaths. Since there is no clear-cut reason as to why the state’s traffic deaths decreased in this time span, there is no guarantee this year’s figures will improve or even stagnate.
Additional Details on the 2018 Traffic Fatalities in New Jersey
New Jersey traffic fatalities in 2018 are broken down as follows: 276 drivers perished, 175 pedestrians perished, 95 passengers perished and 17 bicyclists perished. The most traffic fatalities occurred in those between the age of 40 and 79. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) states 37,000 traffic deaths occurred in 2017 alone. Risky actions ranging from driving at an excess rate of speed to driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and distracted driving puts that many more people at risk. Sadly, the number of drug-impaired drivers will likely continue to increase as our country backtracks on drug laws in favor of a much more tolerant approach, especially to marijuana. The NHTSA has created a couple safety campaigns in an effort to minimize the number of high and drunk drivers on the road. These campaigns serve the important purpose of reminding drivers about the inherent dangers of operating a motor vehicle while drunk or high on drugs.
Traffic Fatality Contributing Factors
As noted above, drunk driving and driving while high on drugs is a large part of the reason why so many people die on the road each year. All in all, nearly 11,000 traffic deaths resulted from drunk driving in ’17 alone. In other words, 30 people die every single day as a result of drunk or drugged driving. This statistic is even more alarming when you consider the fact that one individual dies in traffic as a result of drunk or drugged driving every 48 minutes. Distracted driving is also a major problem. More than 3,000 people perished in distracted driving accidents in 2017.
The use of a cell phone when driving is considered a primary offense in the state of New Jersey. The fine for one’s first offense ranges from $200 to $400. A subsequent offense will spur a fine between $600 and $800 along with three points added to insurance and a potential 90-day suspension of the driver’s license. As most would expect, driving in excess of the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions on the road caused many of the deaths. About one-quarter of all traffic deaths in ’17 are the result of speeding.
Injured in an Auto Accident? Contact Our Law Firm Today
You can drive as safely as possible and still end up losing control of your vehicle. The weather, the actions of other drivers and unexpected distractions such as a series of sneezes can prove quite dangerous even if you are hyper-aware of your surroundings. Call Schibell & Mennie at 732-774-1000 to learn more about how our legal team can help in the aftermath of an auto accident. Our legal team led by Richard Schibell will go above and beyond to get you the compensation that you deserve.
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