If you live in New Jersey, you know how dangerous distracted drivers can be. In today’s fast-paced world, many distracted driving incidents now involve cellphone use.
What do recent driving statistics say about distracted driving trends in the state?
Recent distracted driving statistics
Distracted driving can result from anything that takes your attention away from the road, not just cellphone use. However, 1,138 New Jersey traffic accidents in 2020 involved cellphone use while driving. New Jersey has adopted a hand-held cellphone driving ban, allowing only hands-free use while driving. Despite the laws in place, 837 of these accidents involved hand-held cellphone use. There is, perhaps, a silver lining. While the 2020 statistics may worry you as a resident of the state, they are somewhat lower than the distracted cellphone driving incidents in 2019. In 2019, a total of 1,391 cellphone-related accidents occurred on New Jersey’s roadways, with 1,001 of them relating to hand-held cellphone use.
Potential causes of statistical change
The total number of cellphone-related accidents in 2020 dropped from the total number recorded in 2019. This could be due to several factors, including a decreased number of drivers on the road during the events of 2020, the effectiveness of distracted driving campaigns or increased enforcement of cellphone driving laws in the state. While this decrease is a positive change, it is not a reason for letting your guard down while driving.
Distracted driving may be taking a slightly downward trend, but you should always remain vigilant when driving to avoid becoming a part of these statistics.