How are so many cars driving right into so many buildings in NJ?

Can we agree universally that there’s rarely a good excuse for driving straight into a building? Outside of a tragic and unavoidable medical emergency like a stroke or sudden heart attack, there’s really not a lot to be forgiven.

It happened again.

Police in Edgewater Park in Burlington County say a driver went right through the exterior wall of the 45th Street Pub on Route 130. The collision that happened Saturday afternoon, about 3:15 p.m., left an enormous gaping hole in the wall. The vehicle came to rest entirely inside the bar. Miraculously, no one was injured.

The article on nj.com does not give the age of the driver. Although it isn’t an elderly driver that we instantly imagine when we hear of incidents like these. It feels almost like a cliche, an octogenarian confuses brake and accelerator and ends up through a wall.

Read More: Concerns grow over elderly drivers and road safety in New Jersey

Yet it isn’t always this way.

It isn’t just elderly drivers responsible for these incidents. It’s all ages and various causes.

Just last month, a car crashed into the front of the Virtua Health Physical Therapy and Rehab center in Delran. Also, last month, someone ran their vehicle into the wall of a building in Midland Park where a health food store is located. In Mount Holly, last month, an SUV slammed into a residential home.

Sometimes it’s speeding. Other times, distractions like going through text messages while driving. Whatever the cause, we need to do better. Whether that means hang up and drive, being better focused, or retesting elderly drivers, we need to do better.