The roads in New Jersey are more dangerous than ever. According to law enforcement officials, this year’s car accident death statistics are up by 11 percent when compared to the same statistics from June 2015. Two-hundred thirty-five people have died this year compared to 207 during the first half of last year.
Car accident death figures have improved during the last 10 years overall. In 2007, over 720 people died in New Jersey car accidents and in 2015 that number had dropped to 522. However, losing even a small amount of ground from year to year is certainly not what any law enforcement officer wants to see. According to one New Jersey police captain, an 11 percent increase is enough to warrant concern.
Still, police do not know the reason for the increase. The worry is that drivers are not paying close enough attention to the road. Could distracted driving really be the cause?
Unfortunately, the drivers themselves are not the only ones who are losing their lives. Statistics show that 43 percent of the car accident deaths this year were passengers.
Whenever a fatal car accident happens on a New Jersey roadway, police, along with representatives of the deceased, will want to determine the exact cause of the accident. This is important for the purpose of holding the at-fault party criminally responsible for any wrongdoing that may have happened leading up to the crash. It is also important so that victims and family members of the deceased have sufficient evidence to seek financial restitution against the at fault party in civil court.
Source: NJ1015.com, “242 people have already died on NJ roads so far in 2016,” Dino Flammia, June 15, 2016