During the holiday season, it is not uncommon for residents in New Jersey to enjoy a multitude of celebrations. Company holiday parties, family gatherings and more have become hallmarks of this time of year. Unfortunately, these events commonly see a high number of people consuming multiple alcoholic beverages and then grabbing their keys to drive home. Drunk driving continues to be a problem in New Jersey as shown by statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In the five years between 2013 and 2017, alcohol was a contributing factor in 25 percent of all vehicular fatalities in Monmouth County. There were 214 people killed in car accidents in the county during this time, 54 of which died in drunk driving wrecks. This is actually more deaths than in any of Monmouth County’s neighboring counties. In Middlesex and Burlington Counties, 50 and 46 people were killed in accidents involving alcohol, respectively. Ocean County was the location of 38 drunk driving deaths and Mercer County the location of yet another 28.
Statewide, 624 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2017 and 125 of those perished at the hands of drunk drivers. Between 2013 and 2017, a total of 678 people lost their lives in crashed in which alcohol was a noted factor. These tragic realities reflect the trend around the nation.
The Foundation for Advancing Responsibility indicates that in 2017, alcohol was involved in 29 percent of all automobile fatalities with a total of 10,874 people killed in drunk driving accidents. Despite numerous alternatives, it seems that many people refuse to make the choice to drive safely and find different ways home after drinking.
