New Jersey Roads Ranked #1 Deadliest for Pedestrians
As nights become longer and darker, roads are getting more dangerous in the Winter. It’s no shock that New Jersey roads aren’t the best, but a study concludes that New Jersey has the DEADLIEST roads for pedestrians.
According to the survey conducted by High Rise Legal Funding, with information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the holiday period has the highest rates of pedestrian deaths, with 2,000 from 2018-2021 in December. 50% of these fatal accidents happen between 6:00 PM and 12:00 AM. 43% of fatalities happened on the weekend, making it the most dangerous time of the week.
The data collected says 16% of pedestrian fatal hits happen at an intersection.
New Jersey Statitstics
Roads in the Garden State proved to be the most dangerous, with over 30% of fatalities being pedestrian hits. New Jersey topped the list by percentage, with 212 reported pedestrian fatalities. To put that into perspective, Hawaii was the number slot on the data, and they have 25 pedestrian deaths, which is only 25% of total fatalities in the state.
Comments on the Findings
A spokesperson with High Rise Legal Funding says alcohol consumption is a major contributor to the collected data.
“Alcohol consumption is one of the largest risk factors for pedestrians, not only from drivers but also from themselves, as alcohol can impair decisions. The holiday period covering Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the most dangerous times of year for pedestrians. This is due to more people traveling to visit family and friends or going out to celebrate.
Information from the NHTSA notes that more people are willing to take “walking journeys” than taking a motor vehicle. Meaning, that there are more people at higher risk of an accident.
Usual distractions such as cell phones are commonly linked to pedestrian accidents — more common among younger people.
They continued with advice for those who might be uncomfortable with the information.
“It is essential for pedestrians and drivers to practice caution when going out at the weekend or for holidays. Reducing the length of time on or near the road will help to increase safety.”