Danger on the roads

We often blame outside elements for the cause of car accidents — snow, sharp turns, flooding — but according to our first responders, the true cause may actually be the driver’s inability to adjust their speed before danger strikes.

Notoriously steep and winding roads, cold weather conditions and high-speed driving all plague the roads of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, contributing to the thousands of injuries and fatalities on roads across the Northeast.

Two types of people

I experienced the full effect of these conditions on Halloween in 2021.

It had just stopped raining as I walked out of Spirit Halloween in Middletown, N.Y., and climbed into my dad’s 2007 frost-blue Mazda 3.

Two pairs of costume angel wings accompanied me in the backseat as I took the back roads toward Goshen.

My dad’s old Mazda 3 served us well. Bluey, as my sister and I affectionately named it as toddlers, had rusted wheel wells and nearly 375,000 miles. My phone sat plugged into the broken AUX cord on the center console.

As I started making my way down the hill, just after Cemetery Road becomes Phillipsburg Road, my music stopped. I looked down for a moment to adjust my AUX cord, and when I looked back up, I had drifted over the double yellow line.

At 17 years old, I had my license for barely a year. My instinct was to overcorrect, which, combined with the slippery, steep curve of the road, caused the car to flip and slide into a ditch.

Thanks to my seatbelt and the Mazda 3’s five-star rollover rating, I crawled out of the overturned car without a scratch.

When my dad arrived, he saw the blinding lights of two police cars and flares on the road directing drivers around his beloved - now totaled - car.

He wasn’t pleased with me, but even in his state of shock and anger, he taught me a valuable lesson: There are two kinds of people in the world - people who have crashed a car and people who will crash a car.

The human element

Accidents are bound to occur when multiple two-ton moving vehicles that can reach speeds up to 150 mph are traveling near one another.

Police officers don’t blame the roads for car accidents, though.

Lt. Thomas Muller of the Newton, N.J., Police Department explained that most car accidents are caused by “driver inattention.” Anything that causes drivers to pull their focus away from the road is a distraction that could cause a crash.

“It’s very rare road conditions that really have an impact on the actual crash,” Sparta, N.J., Police Chief Jeffrey McCarrick said.

He explained that even when roads are wet or covered in snow, drivers are expected to understand how weather affects road conditions and respond by reducing their speed and driving with caution.

According to a report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, fatalities from motor vehicle accidents were steadily declining before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2015 and 2019, fatalities from car accidents in New York decreased from more than 1,100 a year to less than 950 a year.

The report credited advanced safety features in vehicles and increased federal safety regulations.

COVID’s impact

COVID-19 took droves of vehicles off the roads as jobs and schools went virtual and everyone was advised to stay inside.

Those who continued to drive during the lockdown tended to have skewed ideas of road safety because of how empty the roads were, according to the comptroller’s report.

Despite the decrease in the number of accidents, cars on the road and miles traveled, the number of traffic-related fatalities soared.

Fewer cars gave the wrong impression that it was safer, or at the very least OK, to drive more dangerously. This paradox is what the report attributed to the jump to nearly 1,200 motor vehicle fatalities in New York in 2022.

“There is a problem in this state right now with distracted driving,” said Village of Goshen, N.Y., Police Chief Ryan Rich.

Cell phone use as a contributing factor to accidents is difficult to study because it is rarely witnessed, he explained.

“Let’s face it,” he said, “when anybody sees law enforcement, they put their phone down.”

He attributes motor vehicle accidents in Goshen to distractions along with unreasonable speeds and following too closely. Distracted driving combined with high speeds is an accident waiting to happen.

“Speed equals harm,” he said.

Most dangerous roads

Despite a reluctance to call specific roads dangerous because most accidents are the fault of human action or machine error, local police chiefs and officers named accident hot spots where drivers should stay vigilant.

McCarrick advised residents to exercise caution near the 14-mile marker on Route 15, from where the train tracks cross the road to the North Village ShopRite.

A report spearheaded by the chief is available on the Sparta Township website: spartanj.org. It lists each road in the township and the number of crashes that have occurred on there since 2021.

The report is the first phase of a multi-step research project aiming to improve Sparta’s roads.

In Tuxedo, N.Y., Officer Savino Citriniti said thrill-seeking motorcyclists like to drive fast on the winding roads throughout Harriman State Park.

Arden Valley Road, known for its numerous tight turns, has been the scene of at least one fatality this year. Marcin Bednarz, 22, drove his motorcycle off the road while trying to navigate around another motorist.

Rich said one-third of the recent accidents in Goshen have occurred on the Route 17A eastbound exit ramp. He attributes them to a recent signage change from a yield to a stop. The new stop sign shows bad driving behaviors that have the potential to cause crashes.

Vernon, N.J., Police Chief Daniel Young advised drivers to be careful on all township roads, characterized by their “curves, twists and turns.”

“The intersection of Vernon Crossing Road and County Route 517 is one of the main connecting artery roads across town,” he said.

That busy intersection is one of three Young named on Route 517. The others have been redesigned by Sussex County as recently as June 24.

Vernon residents should look out for a new all-way stop at the intersection of Lake Pochung Road and County Route 517.

Muller also named three Newton intersections. Water and Trinity streets meet at a busy four-way intersection, each road with at least three lanes of traffic. The Main Street square is another home for complicated intersections with the potential for accidents. The intersection of Sparta and Hicks avenues has limited visibility.

How change happens

When accidents continuously occur at the same locations, crash data can be used to inform local authorities of the consequences.

Officers are required to investigate every accident that causes significant property damage, personal injury or death.

Young said officers are trained to look for several contributing factors to a crash, including driver actions such as speeding, intoxication or distraction, as well as location, time of day and weather.

Problems often are brought to the attention of local police departments by resident complaints. Roads that have constant accidents are added to a list of areas of concern, Young said.

The police department then will work with state and county officials to redesign the road, add signs or place regular patrols at the location.

Roads often are redesigned after a fatal accident spotlights their flaws.

A September 2023 bus crash on Route 84 resulted in two fatalities and prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to put a crash gate on the interstate that will allow emergency responders fast access to urgent crashes. The plan was announced in February and construction was slated to begin this spring.

Not all roads can be redesigned, so it’s important for drivers to eliminate distractions and remain vigilant, particularly on the winding roads that contribute to the character of the Northeast.

One brief glance away from the road could mean the difference between a fender-bender and a fatality.