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.

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.

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.”

It's summertime, and you know what that means, scorching hot days that can turn your car into an oven on wheels. We've all been guilty of leaving stuff behind in our cars, but when the temperatures start rising, there are a few things you absolutely shouldn't leave baking in there.

Last year, Consumer Reports performed a series of temperature tests within enclosed vehicles at CR's Auto Test Track in Colchester, Conn. The objective was to gain a better understanding of how quickly the temperature inside a car can escalate to unsafe levels. These experiments were conducted using precision measuring instruments.

During one of the tests, which took place on a June day with an average outside temperature of 61°F, the interior of a parked car surpassed 105°F within the first hour.

On a different occasion in July, with an average outside temperature of 78°F, the interior of a lighter-colored sedan reached over 104°F during a one-hour test period. Simultaneously, the interior of a dark-colored sedan climbed to more than 109°F.

Consumer Reports provided the temperature readings after one hour of testing. However, it's important to note that the interior temperatures continued to rise as time elapsed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a warning stating that even on a seemingly mild day of around 60°F, the temperature inside a vehicle can dangerously escalate to 110°F over the course of several hours.

Life can get hectic, and sometimes we forget stuff in our cars. But when the temperatures rise, let's avoid turning our cars into hotboxes of doom. It'll save you from unnecessary headaches and ensure your stuff stays in tip-top shape.

The next time you hop out of your car, do a quick scan to make sure you're not leaving behind anything that'll suffer from the heat. Here are seven items that you should avoid leaving in your car on a scorching hot day.