Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger
New Jersey’s driver safety laws make the Garden State one of the safest in the nation for motorists, a report released today finds.
The state ranks second only to the District of Columbia, according to the highway safety report released by Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety.
New Jersey had 583 fatalities related to auto accidents in 2009, and crashes cost the state $9.3 billion.
The states were ranked on laws addressing seat belts and other protection for adults, distracted driving/text messaging, impaired driving, teen driving, and child protection laws.
New Jersey met almost every requirement, except a law requiring 30–50 hours of supervised
driving for teenagers.
The state got half credit for the requirement that teenage drivers be prohibited from driving from at least 10 p.m to 5 a.m., and half credit for not requiring an ignition interlock for all drunken driving offenders.
New Jersey is one of the highest-spending states when it comes to the financial burden of car crashes, the report found. In New Jersey, $9.3 billion goes toward the economic cost of vehicle crashes. Only Florida, California, New York and Texas spend more.
Nationwide, more than 33,800 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2009, the report found, and more than 2.2 million people were injured.
Eleven percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes during the same time were teen drivers
between 15 and 20.
The report also found auto accidents significantly decrease during economic recessions.