New Jersey Drivers Are the Second Safest in the Nation
At first glance, New Jersey seems like a perfect storm for dangerous driving. The belligerent attitude of New York City spills out into New Jersey, but there is less traffic, especially as you get farther south in the state, which means more room for aggressive drivers to gain speed. There is a reason that the Jersey slide, where drivers merge across multiple lanes of traffic with little warning, is named after the Garden State; by contrast, it makes its West Coast cousin, the California stop sign, seem harmless. Then there is the fact, surprising and perplexing to visitors from out of state, that drunk driving does not count as a criminal offense in New Jersey. This does not mean that drunk driving is legal; it just means that a DUI in New Jersey does not go on your criminal record unless you cause an accident while driving drunk, but it could plausibly embolden drivers to take their chances and drive after drinking. Despite all this, New Jersey drivers are among the safest in the nation. If you are among the unlucky few who got injured in a car accident in one of the nation’s safest driving states, contact a South Jersey auto accident lawyer.
Perhaps the Garbage State Isn’t So Rubbish At Driving
A recent report by King Stahlman Bail Bonds analyzed data from all 50 states to find out which state had the highest number of catastrophic driving mishaps per capita. These were the factors it considered:
- Total number of collisions
- Rate of seatbelt use
- Total number of traffic fatalities
- Fatal accidents involving drunk driving
- Fatal accidents involving hit and run
- Fatal accidents involving speeding
New Mexico ranked as the most dangerous state by a huge margin, with Texas and Wyoming as a distant second and third. Meanwhile, the state with the safest drivers is Minnesota, followed by New Jersey.
This news is a surprise to anyone who has ever driven in New Jersey, or even ridden in the passenger seat. Jeff Deminski, who wrote about the report on the 94.5 PST website, was incredulous. The attitude that one associates with New Jersey motorists contrasts sharply with the attitude of Minnesota nice. New Jersey drivers are not known for their patience or generosity.
This study is only measuring the worst that can happen when New Jersey drivers hit the road. Accidents that are not catastrophic can still be plenty costly. Medical bills from a car accident can be financially devastating, even if you make a full recovery from your injuries and quickly return to work. Therefore, if you get injured in a car accident, you should contact a car accident lawyer, who can help you weigh your options for getting compensation for your accident-related financial losses.
Contact Monaco Law About Car Accidents
Contact Monaco Law PC in Marlton, New Jersey to discuss your car accident case. Joseph Monaco is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer serving Atlantic County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Ocean County, Salem County and all of South Jersey.
Source:
wpst.com/ixp/385/p/nj-driving-study-results/
