One of the unfortunate realities in today’s world is that motor vehicle accidents can and do happen without a moment’s notice. Perhaps the most unfortunate and tragic element of this reality is that so many incidents should be preventable if drivers would only make responsible and safe decisions. Driving after consuming alcohol is one of the extremely dangerous things that too many people refuse to stop doing.
Over the years, New Jersey has evolved its laws against drunk driving, yet it still loses innocent lives in these senseless crashes every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, New Jersey has experienced something of an up-and-down trend in recent years when it comes to drunk driving fatalities.
In 2014, intoxicated drivers claimed the lives of 161 people on New Jersey roads and highways. Those deaths represented 29% of the state’s total vehicular deaths that year. Some progress appeared to be made the following year when drunk driving deaths dropped to 107, representing 19% of all vehicular fatalities. The progress was short-lived as 134 people died at the hands of drunk drivers in 2016, accounting for 22% of all auto deaths. After another slight decline in 2017 to 121 deaths and 19% of all fatalities, New Jersey recorded 125 drunk driving deaths in 2018, accounting for 22% of that year’s fatalities.
If you would like to learn more about how to get the help and guidance needed after you or someone in your family has been involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver, please feel free to visit the impaired driving crash assistance page of our New Jersey motor vehicle accident and personal injury website.
