Posted On May 23, 2012 Personal Injury
Over the past few years there has been a troubling trend with regards to accidents that result in fatalities on the Garden State Parkway. All of the fatal accidents on the Parkway from 2010 through May 2012 occurred within approximately a mile of an exit. This begs the question of what is so inherently dangerous about these areas of the highway that people are dying in staggering numbers?
The information regarding these accidents including where they occurred, where the nearest exit is, how many were killed, and when it happened can be seen below.
The first potential cause of these accidents is that people are not merging properly. When cars are entering the Parkway there seems to be a tendency for vehicles already in that lane to try and speed up and pass the other car before it can safely merge onto the highway. This creates a very dangerous environment as both the cars entering and those in the far right lane are trying to speed past one another. As the entering vehicle is accelerating it may be harder for the cars already in the lane to recognize whether they have enough time to get past them or not. This can result in serious car accidents.
The second possibility is that people are changing lanes in an unsafe manner. There seems to be a trend with cars trying to cross over multiple lanes in a short period of time. If a car is in the far left lane and is rushing to get to the far right lane to exit they may not be as much of a defensive driver they should be and they could hit other vehicles in their blind spot.
There is also the problem of drivers passing on the right-hand side. Although it is illegal to pass, that does not typically stop aggressive New Jersey drivers. This can be a hazard if the driver who is being passed is not checking their right side blind spot before switching lanes.
As any New Jersey personal injury attorney can explain to you, car accidents are most often caused by driver error. These errors can include such actions as:
It is unlikely that we will see a significant decrease in the occurrence of these Parkway accidents if motorists continue to drive in an unsafe manner. When a car accident is the result of someone else’s negligence, the victim may be entitled to compensation. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident, the skilled New Jersey car accident lawyers at Console & Associates P.C. are here to help. For a free evaluation of your case call us today at (866) 778-5500.
