Whether it’s during our daily work commute, running errands around town, or visiting with friends and family, automotive travel is an integral part of everyday life for most Americans. Unfortunately, it’s also a leading cause of death, according to recent CDC reports. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that, for people in the US under the age of 55, fatal car accidents are the most common cause of death.
The State of New Jersey is far from immune to this chilling reality; in the five-year period spanning 2015-2019, 1.4 million automotive accidents took place on NJ roads and highways – averaging more than 750 crashes a day. This number represents collisions of widely ranging severity, from seemingly minor “fender-benders” to serious accidents resulting in major injuries, as well as devastating fatalities. More than 3,100 New Jersey lives were claimed by car crashes during that five-year span. 587 of those deaths took place in a single year, 2019.
The question of what causes so many car accidents is not a simple one, as there are numerous factors in play and no two auto accidents are the same. Unique circumstances that contribute to each crash involve multiple factors that cause the collision. However, we can recognize a number of common factors that play a role in causing many accidents. Despite decades of public information campaigns to raise awareness of its dangers, driving while impaired by alcohol or other intoxicants remains a major contributing factor in many serious and fatal accidents. Another dangerous driver behavior has been the target of similar attention in recent years, but remains an all-too-common habit that contributes directly to many fatalities: distracted driving, especially involving the use of mobile devices. These and other dangerous behaviors by motorists continue to receive focus from public awareness and traffic enforcement efforts, but other elements that factor into fatal accidents are also worth considering. In New Jersey, drivers do not face any potential license suspensions until the 3rd cell phone violation!
The location where an accident takes place can significantly affect the circumstances leading up to the crash, as well as its outcome. At any given intersection, traffic lights, flashing signals and stop or yield signs control the flow of traffic. Additionally, visibility may be impacted by parked cars, vegetation, rain, snow, fog, and other obstacles. A steep hill or incline may make stopping more difficult under slippery road conditions. When considering the causes of an accident in its aftermath, the design and physical layout of the intersection or stretch of road where it took place is worth investigating as a potential contributing factor.
An analysis of comprehensive automotive accident data collected by the New Jersey Department of Transportation over a five-year period, conducted by NJ Advance Media, identified the 10 intersections on city and town roads that have been the site of the most fatalities during that time frame. This list does not include highway fatalities; these were categorized and ranked in a separate list. No analysis is attempted of the accidents that took place at these intersections, or any comment regarding whether the design of the intersections themselves played a role in causing the crashes that happened there.
- US Route 322 and Whitehall Road/Corkery Lane, in Monroe Township, Gloucester County. In five years, this intersection saw 49 different accidents, resulting in a total of 7 fatalities.
- US Route 22 and Adamsville Road/Morgan Lane, in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County. During the five-year period studied, 98 car accidents took place at this intersection, with 4 fatalities resulting.
- NJ Route 129 and Lalor Street, in Trenton, Mercer County. 82 auto accidents took place here during the five years under analysis, which resulted in 4 deaths.
- NJ Route 70 and Lakehurst Road, in Manchester Township, Ocean County. During the five years in question, 35 car crashes took place at this intersection, killing 4 people.
- County Road 524 and Sharon Station Road, in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County. This intersection saw 21 accidents in the five-year span studied, with 4 deaths resulting.
- County Road 615 and Lake Road, in Franklin Township, Gloucester County. A total of 8 accidents took place at this intersection during the five-year period, with 4 fatalities involved.
- County Road 705 and Dunlin Way, in Gloucester Township, Camden County. Here, 7 automotive crashes took place in the five years being analyzed, resulting in 4 deaths.
- State Route 73 and Waverly Avenue/Willow Avenue, in Maple Shade, Burlington County. An alarming 241 accidents took place at this junction during the five-year period under analysis, with 3 deaths resulting from these crashes.
- US Route 1 and Ford Avenue, in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County. This intersection was the site of 183 crashes in five years, causing 3 fatalities.
- US Route 1 and Bakers Basin Road, in Lawrence Township, Mercer County. Over a five-year period, 178 car accidents with 3 fatalities took place at this intersection.
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If you or a loved one suffered an injury in an accident in NJ, you should contact an attorney familiar with handling these claims. An experienced NJ Injury Lawyer will know how to obtain medical records, videos, photographs, experts, locate witnesses and contact the insurance company so you can make a claim for your injuries.
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