Articles Posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Pedestrian-fatalities-PI-blog-300x200According to a recent study, pedestrian fatalities in this country have increased more than 50% since 2012. What’s more, the study found that New Jersey’s roads are the most dangerous for pedestrians, with pedestrian deaths accounting for 30.3% of all traffic accident fatalities in the State, compared with a national rate of 17.3%.

What’s behind this national increase in pedestrian deaths? According to the study, it’s a combination of factors including more people choosing walking over driving and more distractions, particularly cell phones, taking people’s attention away from their surroundings. But there are things both drivers and pedestrians can do to increase the safety of our roads. For some tips, read “New Jersey has the most dangerous roads for pedestrians.”

Practice-Driving-Hours-300x200Everyone is familiar with the saying practice makes perfect; New Jersey officials are hoping it also makes for safer young drivers.

According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, drivers between 16 and 19 are about three times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident. Some of that increased risk can be attributed to inexperience. Hoping to improve those statistics, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this month signed a law requiring supervised practice driving hours for drivers younger than 21 as a stipulation for obtaining their driver’s license. It is yet to be seen, however, how completion of those practice hours will be certified.

To learn more about this new law, which is expected to go into effect sometime in 2025, read “NJ Mandates 50 Practice Driving Hours for Teens – How Can You Prove It?

Automatic-Driving-Features-300x200Each year auto manufacturers install more and more automatic features designed to make their vehicles safer for drivers and passengers alike. These features include sensors that automatically turn on headlights, dim high beams, even apply the brakes when an obstacle is detected, all so that drivers have less to think about. And therein may lie the problem.

It was announced this month that Tesla, the automaker known for its electric vehicles, has agreed to recall almost 2 million of its vehicles sold in the U.S. This recall follows a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a number of accidents that have occurred while the vehicles’ Autopilot feature was engaged. Unlike the name implies, the Autopilot system does not replace the need for a human driver. In fact, the system contains features designed to ensure drivers continue to pay attention to both their vehicles and road conditions when in motion. In question, however, is whether these features are enough to ensure drivers don’t become complacent behind the wheel. To learn more, read “Tesla Recalls Nearly All Vehicles Sold In US.”

Motorcyclist are most vulnerable to serious traffic accidents.The number of motorcyclists killed in traffic accidents in 2021 represents 14% of all reported traffic fatalities nationwide for that year, yet motorcycles accounted for less than 1% of vehicle miles traveled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last month in New Jersey alone, there were at least five reported motorcycle fatalities.

New Jersey already has laws in place to help protect motorcyclists, but the stark numbers have led at least one State news publication to call for the establishment of a task force to study what more can be done to protect these riders from death or serious injuries. Read “Task force needed to combat motorcycle deaths | Jersey Journal editorial” to learn more.

Damaged side view mirror on parked car resulting from motor vehicle accidentMost drivers know that if they are involved in a crash, the right thing to do is remain calm, assess the situation, and report the accident to the proper authorities. Running is never the answer. Still, according to the AAA, the number of hit-and-run accidents has been on the rise across the nation recently.

Leaving the scene of an accident, no matter how minor, can only complicate the consequences. New Jersey law states that anyone who leaves the scene after hitting a person or property could be charged with a hit-and-run. This holds true even if you only hit a mailbox or sideswipe a parked car. The consequences of these charges are in addition to any charges resulting from the accident itself and will vary depending on the severity of the crash. To learn more about what leaving the scene of an accident could cost you, read “What to do after a hit-and-run in New Jersey.”

glaring headlights attributed to nighttime motor vehicle accidentsA combination of new LED lights, taller vehicles and fewer checks for headlight misalignment adds up to a glaring problem for nighttime drivers in the U.S. Although it is difficult to calculate how many motor vehicle accidents can be attributed to headlight glare, statistics do show that the fatality rate for nighttime accidents is three times higher than that of daytime accidents. Improving conditions to help reduce these crashes has long been a goal of safety regulators and the U.S. automobile industry.

Europe has been using adaptive driving beams to combat this problem for over a decade. Why is it taking so long to implement this technology in the U.S.? Read “Blinded by the light: Cars in the U.S. still lack glare-reducing headlights” to learn more.

Car crashes attributed to distracted driving plague NJ roadsDistracted driving continues to be a serious problem on roadways throughout the country and, unfortunately, New Jersey is not immune.

According to the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, in about half of the accidents reported over a five-year period, distracted driving was cited as a contributing factor. In 2021, the latest period for which statistics were available, New Jersey State Police records showed this behavior was involved in almost 200 of the fatal crashes reported that year.

In view of these sobering statistics, police departments throughout that State currently are taking part in National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a campaign intended to deter drivers from engaging in any behavior that takes their attention off of the road. To learn more about what constitutes distracted driving and the efforts behind the U Drive. U Text. U Pay campaign, read “Driver Inattention Cited in Half of Crashes on NJ Roads.”

Deployed driver's airbag subject of Do Not Drive warningAbout 10 years ago, U.S. drivers were hit with the largest automotive recall in this country’s history over defective Takata airbags. Today, those who ignored that recall notice are receiving a “Do Not Drive” warning for certain popular Honda and Acura models.

The warning, which affects millions of vehicles, states that the airbags in certain older model cars, including Honda’s popular CR-V and Civic models, can explode when deployed after long-term exposure to high temperatures and humidity. The inflators in these airbags are at least 20 years old and have a 50-50 chance of erupting in even minor collisions causing serious injury and/or death. To learn more and to see if your car is among the models affected, read “’Do Not Drive’ Recall on 2 of NJ’s Most Popular Vehicles.”

DUIs cited as leading cause of NJ fatal car crashes for 2021Fatal traffic accidents in New Jersey have increased for the third consecutive year, according to a recently released NJ State Police report analyzing traffic accidents in 2021. A total of 667 deadly accidents occurred in the state that year; of those, 210 accidents were said to have been the result of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI). This is the first time in 10 years DUIs were cited as the leading cause of fatal accidents. During those 10 years, distracted driving or driver inattention was the top factor.

Impaired driving covers various substances, not just alcohol. While there are tests for analyzing the level of alcohol in a driver’s system at the time of an accident, determining the level of other substances such as marijuana is not as easy. Officials are now working on strategies to further educate drivers on the risks of driving under the influence of any substance, legal or illegal, as well as continuing their campaign against distracted driving. More information on the findings of this report can be found here.

Motor vehicle accident victims reporting crash and exchanging information at accident sceneNo one ever plans on crashing their car, yet it has been reported that 1 out of 5 motorists are involved in a motor vehicle accident every year. Even minor fender-benders can leave drivers shaken and not thinking clearly. That’s why it’s important to have a plan in place—just in case.

The first thing to do in a car accident, if possible, is to assess your injuries and those of all others involved. The next step is to call the police so that an official accident report can be filed and processed. Then comes the exchange of information—but how much personal information are you obligated to divulge to the stranger you just accidentally bumped into? Read “You’ve Been in A Car Crash in NJ. What Info Should You Exchange?” to learn more.

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