Death on the highways

The latest serious accident involving an underage driver - a three-car crash on the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel Saturday morning that left an Ocean County man in critical condition - prompted me to research whether the number of fatal accidents involving young people has been on the rise. With all the deaths involving teens on the roads in Ocean and Monmouth counties during the past year, it certainly seemed to be the case.

But over the past four years, at least, the trend has been mostly flat. The number of deaths involving teen drivers since 2003: 48, 46, 48 and 46 - about 10 to 11 percent of the fatalities statewide. In 2003, 56 teen drivers under age 20 died.

What surprised me in reviewing the N.J. State Police 2006 fatality statistics was the upsurge in alcohol-related accidents and the huge spike in deaths involving motorcylists.

Nearly 40 percent of the accidents involved drivers who had been drinking and 151 of the 771 accidents statewide involved drunken drivers - the highest number in 15 years. Last year was the third straight year in which the number of DWI-related fatalities increased.

Deaths involving motorcylists soared to 103 last year - nearly double the total of five years ago - and 13.3 percent of the total.

A few other interesting facts gleaned from the 2006 report:
Males accounted for 71.3 percent of motor vehicle deaths.
Mechanical failure accounted for only 9 of the 771 fatalities.
Other factors in the accidents: driver inattention (180), unsafe speed (142), failure to keep right (93), failure to yield (39).

Fatal accidents involving teens are a serious problem. But the problem is much larger than that - one that requires a dramatic, comprehensive approach by the state.