newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ED FERNANDEZ

COMMENTARY

Tragic but true: The leading cause of death among American teenagers is automobile accidents — careless, senseless, preventable automobile accidents.[1] For teens, there is nothing more deadly than a speeding car, a distracted driver or an intoxicated person behind the wheel.

This is particularly worrisome as we make our way through the summer months, when more licensed and student teen drivers will be behind the wheel. In fact, July has traditionally been among the most dangerous times of the year with respect to fatal accidents — surpassing even the New Year's holiday.[2]

Regardless of the season, however, our roads are a dangerous place — for everyone. Too many people drive fast. Too many people drive distracted. Too many people drive intoxicated. And as a result, too many people die on our nation's highways and local streets.

This is especially true right here in the Garden State.

In just the first half of this year, approximately 255 New Jerseyans were killed in automobile accidents. Most were drivers. Most were in shore counties. At this rate, there will be more than one roadside fatality every day this year.[3]

Suffice it to say, that is one too many.

The good news, however, is that the situation has been improving. More education. More laws. More enforcement. Safer cars. As a result, the number of fatal crashes in New Jersey has actually declined in recent years.[4]

Much of the credit should go to our state and local municipalities, which have been leading the way with initiative after good initiative, such as the "Click it or Ticket" campaign and the graduated driver license. Credit should also go to community-based organizations that have given us "Keep Kids Alive Drive 25®" to help keep speeding down near schools along with a host of other important targeted initiatives.

I, for one, am particularly excited about the latest state effort. It is plainly and appropriately called, the "Don't Drive Stupid" campaign. It is an innovative program that combines enforcement with education, and it rightly targets the most vulnerable and most dangerous drivers — teenagers.

This is so very important, because again, traffic accidents are currently the leading cause of death among teens. Already this year, approximately 20 New Jersey teenagers were killed either behind the wheel or in the passenger seat[5], and 71 teenage drivers were involved in fatal car crashes in 2008[6].

Granted, it is not surprising that the first two years of a young driver's life are the most dangerous.[7] After all, operating a car is not an innate skill with which we're born. It takes time to learn and to become a skilled driver. But it's painfully clear that we can and must do a better job teaching and protecting our children, as well as the more than 500 other New Jerseyans killed[8] every year in fatal crashes.

To that end, we must continue to emphasize traffic safety awareness. We must continue to initiate new traffic safety programs. And we must reinforce the importance of all our traffic safety laws.

Simply stated, we must continue to act as though our lives — and those of our children — depend on it.

Ed Fernandez is the President and CEO of Palisades, which is a New Jersey car insurance company.

SOURCES:

[1] U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention — http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html
[2] NJ. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Comparative Data Report — 2008
[3] N.J. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — http://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/put-brakes-fatality-day.html
[4] NJ. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Comparative Data Report — 2008
[5] N.J. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — http://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/put-brakes-fatality-day.html
[6] NJ. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Comparative Data Report — 2008
[7] N.J. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — http://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/put-brakes-fatality-day.html
[8] N.J. Division of Highway Traffic Safety — http://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/put-brakes-fatality-day.html