“Jersey Driver”, it’s been a common term for generations as the commuter communities of New Jersey have grown, and continue to grow. GMAC, an insurance company that does not provide car insurance in the state of New Jersey, has provided New Jersey with some unwarranted publicity in their recently released survey listing New Jersey drivers as the most stupid in the nation. The gimmicky poll, released to the national media via GMAC, might be a poorly planned attempt to divert consumer attention from financial woes in the car and home loan market…Or perhaps GMAC is stupid.
The results of the GMAC survey which listed New Jersey drivers in the nation as the most stupid was mostly based on a set of multiple questions derived from DMV driving tests. This type of testing is analogous to a retiree having to take an algebra test, and then claiming they cannot balance a checkbook; or, asking a homeowner to explain the process of photosynethesis, and then claiming they hate trees.
Here are the real facts. In a 2005 study funded by The Reason Foundation, New Jersey was listed as having one of the lowest traffic fatality rates in the country–5th in the list. In a 2006 study by the physician-led group End Needless Death on Our Roadways and the National Safety Council, New Jersey again ranked in the lowest–10th. These represent real life results, and not the results of a marketing gimmick.
New Jersey has some of the most congested driving in the country. So congested, drivers in this state display an entirely different understanding of what congestion actually means. A study designed by The New Jersey Institue of Technology found most drivers in New Jersey do not recognize a congested traffic situation as defined by national standards. But even though residents are driving in a state of denial, they are still suffering the effects as 96% indicated they felt some stress driving, and over 50% experiencing stress on a regular basis.
The GMAC study, although flawed, does provide an opportunity for Oakland residents to consider some important facts. According to 2005 statistic from the U.S. General Accounting Office, 61% of those killed while driving died on rural, two-lane byways. Oakland has many roads with turns and hills that limit a driver’s range of vision. This was the case in the recent accident on Rt 202 reported on the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department website, and reposted for The Oakland Journal readers.
Oakland is also a town with limited sidewalks which results in pedestrians walking along the side of the roads. This, in conjunction with a large youth and recreationalist population of bicycle riders, requires Oakland residents to exercise responsible driving. The Oakland Journal reminds residents to always wear a seatbelt, and that NJ law enforcement is helping drivers remember through their “Click It or Ticket’ campaign running through June 1st. Don’t spend what you earn to learn this lesson, buckle up.
The Editors, on a personal note, also encourage the use of signals when turning.