Aggressive drunk driving laws have helped to reduce the instances of driving under the influence, but that does not mean that they have stopped. In fact, there are thousands of alcohol-related fatalities every year.
An assessment of alcohol-related incidents by state shows that New Jersey is among the lowest 50 percent of states in alcohol-related fatalities each year.
New Jersey ranks 24th
In a study of all 50 states, with the highest number of incidents in the state ranked in 50th position, New Jersey ranked 24th. That means New Jersey has had fewer alcohol-related fatalities than more than 50 percent of the states in the country.
Few New Jersey adults admit to alcohol overindulgence
Statistically, 1 percent of adults in New Jersey admit to overindulging in alcohol on average. With some states reporting as much as 3 percent of adults overindulging and a national average of 1.7 percent, New Jersey adults seem to moderate their alcohol consumption.
New Jersey had fewer than 1,500 alcohol-related fatalities
From 2009 to 2018, New Jersey recorded 1,459 fatalities related to alcohol consumption. This is significantly fewer than in Texas, where there were 13,592. It is, however, more than the lowest-ranked state. Vermont recorded only 186 alcohol-related fatalities in the same period.
The statistics show that, while New Jersey is not the lowest-ranked state in terms of DUI and alcohol-related fatalities, it is far from the worst. Moderate, responsible drinking and comprehensive drunk driving laws help keep drivers and passengers safe on the road throughout the year.