fatal accidents

Distracted Driving Remains a Major Cause of NJ Crashes

April 15, 2023 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Distracted 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.”

NJ Fatal Accidents Continue to Increase; DUIs Now Noted as Leading Cause

January 15, 2023 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Fatal 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.

How Inattentive Are New Jersey Drivers?

July 15, 2021 | The Victor Rotolo Law Firm

The latest research ranks New Jersey second out of all states for having the highest rate of fatal motor vehicle accidents attributed to distracted driving. Is this a reflection of drivers’ inattentiveness or the State’s efforts to combat and report this risky behavior?

The research, which looks at statistics from various government agencies including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), shows that 24.6% of New Jersey’s fatal traffic accidents resulted from some sort of driver distraction. Cell phone use – both the use of handheld phones and texting – is often cited as a major distractor, but other activities like eating and applying makeup can be contributing factors. For further information and to see which state ranked number one, read “New Jersey Gets Low Marks for Distracted Driving.”