Causes of Auto Accidents in Passaic County NJ
Car Accident Attorneys discuss different Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents in Woodland Park, Clifton, Paterson, Wayne and across Northern New Jersey
If you drive an automobile in New Jersey, you know that accidents and personal injuries are a daily occurrence and can happen to anyone. It may be your fault. It may be another driver’s fault. It may be a combination of factors. One thing we know is that our roads are congested and people are often stressed and distracted while driving.
In 2017, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation crash report, there were 270,231 crashes. The highest number of crashes occurred in Essex County at roughly 29,000. Out of those crashes, there were 601 unfortunate fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 137 of those fatalities were related to driving impaired due to the ingestion of alcohol or substances.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT), Bureau of Transportation Data and Safety (BTDS) collects all New Jersey Police Crash Investigation Report forms (NJTR-1). NJDOT reports that there is an average of 320,000 crash reports per received that are processed and data collected from. They use this information to develop safety programs.
Distracted Driving Lawyers Wayne NJ
According to NHTSA, distracted driving is “any activity that diverts attention from driving” Most people practice some form of distracted driving every day. Talking and texting on your cell phone is a major factor in the causes of distracted driving crashes. NHTSA reports that reading a text forces you to take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. That is a long time to not pay attention to the road and it can have a serious impact on you and others.
Other examples of distracted driving are reading, eating, drinking, playing with the radio, checking social media, looking for a podcast or simply reaching down to get something,
When you drive a car, you should just simply drive the car. Do not do anything that takes your attention away from driving. According to NHTSA, in 20116, 3,450 people were killed and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys Clifton NJ
Another leading cause of accidents is drunk driving or driving while under the influence of something that impairs your ability to drive safely. Nearly 30 deaths a day occur as a result of drunk driving and approximately 10,000 per year. This means 10,000 deaths could be avoided by not drinking before you get into a car. Drunk driving with accidents also exposes a person to being charged with crimes in New Jersey which are punishable by jail in state prison.
Alcohol impairs brain function, reasoning skills, and muscle coordination, increasing reaction times. It causes a person to drive in an unsafe manner.
Impaired Driving Accidents and Injuries Northern New Jersey
Aside from alcohol, there are other substances that can impair your ability to drive. Some common substances are over-the-counter and prescription drugs and illegal drugs such as:
- marijuana (causes slow coordination, judgment, and reaction times).
- Cocaine and methamphetamine (causes aggressive and reckless driving)
- Using multiple substances such as alcohol and marijuana;
- Certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines (may cause drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects)
Other common causes of accidents are:
- reckless driving
- poor road conditions (icy, wet, slippery, etc)
- road rage
- failure to abide by traffic signals and signs (running a red light not stopping at a stop sign etc)
- tailgating
- teenage drivers
Contact a Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyer Today
Personal injury attorneys atThe Montanari Law Group, have been protecting the legal rights of clients injured in auto accidents across New Jersey including Paterson, Woodland Park, Wayne, West Milford, Clifton, Little Falls, and the greater Passaic County region for many years.
If you have been in an accident, whether it is your fault or someone else’s, contact our firm to discuss your rights. Your insurance company does not represent your legal and medical interests.
We take pride in offering dynamic and personalized legal counsel to fit the unique needs of all our personal injury clients. Contact us online or through our Little Falls office today at 973-233-4396 for a free consultation.
