In 2017, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation crash report, there were 270,231 crashes. The highest number of crashes occurred in Essex County at roughly 29,000. Out of those crashes, there were 601 unfortunate fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 137 of those fatalities were related to driving impaired due to the ingestion of alcohol or substances.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT), Bureau of Transportation Data and Safety (BTDS) collects all New Jersey Police Crash Investigation Report forms (NJTR-1). NJDOT reports that there is an average of 320,000 crash reports per received that are processed and data collected from. They use this information to develop safety programs.
According to NHTSA, distracted driving is “any activity that diverts attention from driving” Most people practice some form of distracted driving every day. Talking and texting on your cell phone is a major factor in the causes of distracted driving crashes. NHTSA reports that reading a text forces you to take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. That is a long time to not pay attention to the road and it can have a serious impact on you and others.
Other examples of distracted driving are reading, eating, drinking, playing with the radio, checking social media, looking for a podcast or simply reaching down to get something,
When you drive a car, you should just simply drive the car. Do not do anything that takes your attention away from driving. According to NHTSA, in 20116, 3,450 people were killed and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
Another leading cause of accidents is drunk driving or driving while under the influence of something that impairs your ability to drive safely. Nearly 30 deaths a day occur as a result of drunk driving and approximately 10,000 per year. This means 10,000 deaths could be avoided by not drinking before you get into a car. Drunk driving with accidents also exposes a person to being charged with crimes in New Jersey which are punishable by jail in state prison.
Alcohol impairs brain function, reasoning skills, and muscle coordination, increasing reaction times. It causes a person to drive in an unsafe manner.
Aside from alcohol, there are other substances that can impair your ability to drive. Some common substances are over-the-counter and prescription drugs and illegal drugs such as:
Other common causes of accidents are:
Personal injury attorneys atThe Montanari Law Group, have been protecting the legal rights of clients injured in auto accidents across New Jersey including Paterson, Woodland Park, Wayne, West Milford, Clifton, Little Falls, and the greater Passaic County region for many years.
If you have been in an accident, whether it is your fault or someone else’s, contact our firm to discuss your rights. Your insurance company does not represent your legal and medical interests.
We take pride in offering dynamic and personalized legal counsel to fit the unique needs of all our personal injury clients. Contact us online or through our Little Falls office today at 973-233-4396 for a free consultation.