Reviewing crash rates from the NHTSA
Motorists in New Jersey may benefit from reviewing the statistics and trends from motor vehicle crashes reported during 2012. The information was published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. The researchers totaled 33,561 motor vehicle fatalities for 2012, increasing by 3.3 percent from the previous year. Approximately 31 percent of these deaths were attributable to alcohol, representing a 4.6 percent increase from 2011.
The NHTSA claims that 2012 was the first increase in the car crash rate, following six consecutive years of declining totals. The increase was not caused by any singular factor. High crash rates were observed in incidents related to alcohol, involving various types of vehicles and those occurring in different locations. During 2012, New Jersey had the largest decline of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in the country.
According to the NHTSA, there were 589 motor vehicle fatalities reported in New Jersey during 2012, a 6.1 percent decline in comparison to 2011. Approximately 28 percent of the 2012 fatalities were attributed to alcohol, declining 15 percent from the previous year. On average, the rate of alcohol-impaired fatalities involving males under 20 years old declined while the fatality rates for most other age groups increased. The agency claims that males have constituted for 70 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities for multiple decades.
Anyone injured by another driver in a motor vehicle accident may be entitled to seek restitution for damages caused by the collision. Plaintiffs in these cases are often awarded compensation to help account for loss of income, vehicle repairs, medical expenses and other hardships typically caused by car accidents. In order to receive an award from the court, legal counsel may need to prove that the accident and injuries suffered were a result of the defendant’s negligence.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, “2012 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview“, October 17, 2014
