By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
“People I’ve spoken to that have crashed and killed somebody, they all say the same thing: ‘I didn’t think this was going to happen,'” said New Jersey State Police Lt. Michael Rizol.
Sadly, in New Jersey it does happen. The state police fatal motor vehicle crash report indicates there were 523 fatal crashes in 2014 with 556 people killed — 14 more lives lost compared to the year prior.
“The vast majority of crashes to some degree can be blamed on inattentiveness. Driver inattention is anything that takes your focus away from the driving,” Rizol said.
That includes anything from daydreaming behind the wheel to adjusting the radio to talking and texting while driving says Rizol.
“I see it every day, commuting back and forth to work, people on the phone. They’re not paying attention,” said driver Joanne Lotempio.
“I also even think with the Bluetooth that that’s bad, talking, because it does distract so I’m more conscious of that now today then I was before,” said driver Monique Ritacco.
“I’ve seen too many accidents, especially the young kids today. Everyone wants to text while they’re driving. It’s something, it’s as bad as drinking and driving,” said driver Joe Allia.
“Unfortunately, it’s very hard sometimes to quantify who was actually on their cell phone. Sometimes, when there are fatal crashes we do subpoena records and determine that someone was using their cell phone. That turns a traffic crash into a criminal offense,” Rizol said.
Of the fatalities, about 31 percent had consumed alcohol to some extent. As sad as the numbers are, the report indicates overall motor vehicle fatalities have decreased over the past couple of decades, reaching the lowest point in 2013.
“Obviously we’d like that number to be zero, but 30 years ago it was 1,800 and we are working to lower it, and law enforcement is just a part of that. There have been a lot of big contributions with anti-lock brakes and seat belt usage. Cars are much safer these days,” Rizol said.
In 2015, the pedestrian death toll was 161 — up from 141 in 2010.
“The numbers have continued to creep up as far as pedestrian fatalities. They’re becoming a bigger percentage. I believe a lot of that involves inattentiveness,” said Rizol.
Although nearly 80 percent of all fatal crashes occurred during clear weather conditions, winter storms can impact the roads.
With the recent snowfall, the state police say they’re just as concerned about the safety of their troopers and other emergency personnel because shoulder lanes are often covered in snow because of plows, which is why they’re encouraging drivers to slow down and move over safely when they can.
“We want to make sure that all the police officers and emergency service providers go home at the end of the day,” Rizol said.
Along with all the other New Jersey drivers and passengers.