Car Accident Lawyers Discuss Fatal Car Accidents on Route 55

State police have reported seven fatal car accidents in the first five months of 2016 on New Jersey Route 55. This is the same number of fatalities reported along that 40-mile stretch of road during all of 2015, and one more than those reported in the years of 2014 and 2013.

New Jersey State Police cite distracted driving, driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, and speeding as the leading causes of car accidents along this highway that runs from Gloucester County to Cumberland County. If a car accident has taken the life of a loved one of yours, do not hesitate to contact one of our Cherry Hill car accident lawyers who can help you receive proper justice for your loss.

New Jersey Police Responding To Increased Crashes

Responding to the current increase in fatal crashes on Route 55, state police have increased patrols, keeping a keen eye out for speeding, impaired, or distracted drivers. A spokesman for the state police warns drivers that wildlife in the area along Route 55 poses a significant risk for those traveling along the heavily forested route. Drivers who are speeding are more likely to crash since they will have less time to react and avoid animals like deer that dart across the roadway.

According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, approximately 100,000 cars a day travel along Route 55 with a high concentration of these vehicles in the Deptford area. Route 55 connects to the Atlantic City Expressway (Route 42), the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 295, and a main artery into Philadelphia, Interstate 76. Drivers on Route 55 intersecting with Route 42 and 76 routinely face rush hour traffic congestion that can sometimes cause delays and gridlock.

Despite these high congestion areas, the majority of the fatal car accidents that have occurred in 2016 have been in the rural areas farther south along the route. Of the seven fatal car accidents that have occurred on Route 55 since January, five were in more rural areas like Cumberland County, while two were in the congested Deptford area.