Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety recently released a “report card” that suggests that New Jersey could stand to improve its traffic laws if state leaders really hope to cut down on fatal car accidents. According to the organization, motor vehicle crashes resulted in 556 deaths in 2014, the most recent year for which data has been compiled.
The annual economic cost of car accidents in New Jersey has risen considerably over the past 10 years. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety report card indicates that auto accidents cost more than $12.8 billion in the State of New Jersey, making it the fourth-most expensive state in the country. Among the “costs” associated with motor vehicle accidents are property damage, costs of medical treatment for injured drivers, passengers and pedestrians, and lost wages for injured parties who have to take time off from work during their recovery. Nationwide, the cost of car accidents totals $836 billion each year.
Teen Drivers Dying in New Jersey Car Accidents
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety says that certain traffic laws in New Jersey are deficient and fail to adequately protect drivers. One of the most at-risk groups of drivers in NJ is teen drivers. That’s why the auto safety group has focused on Graduate Driver Licensing (GDL), a licensing system that allows a 16-year-old to obtain a learner’s permit before “graduating” to an intermediate permit at age 17 and then a full driver’s license at age 18. Importantly, the current NJ law requires a person with a learner’s permit to wait at least six months before moving on to the next stage in the licensing process.
However, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety strongly suggests that NJ lawmakers can do more to protect teenage drivers. That’s why the organization recommends that the state’s GDL law include a requirement that anyone with a learner’s permit must have 30-50 hours of supervised training before gaining an intermediate permit. Additionally, the group wants New Jersey legislators to make it even harder for teenage drivers to get behind the wheel between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
The leaders of the non-profit safety alliance believe that more focused traffic laws could help to cut down on the number of people who are “needlessly dying” on NJ roads.
For further information, access the NorthJersey.com article, “Road Warrior: Coalition Finds Flaws in N.J. Road Safety Laws.”
At Andres, Berger & Tran, we are passionate about making sure that our clients get the compensation they need, want and deserve following a car, truck or motorcycle accident. We’re on your side and we will fight for you and your family. Contact our Cherry Hill, NJ office today for a free consultation about your case.
