Winter is coming: Where NJ driving skills rank in snowy weather

Winter is coming. While that might mean a little more to “Game of Thrones” fans, it’s a reminder to all of us that driving gets trickier. And scarier.

Many weather experts are predicting more snow at the beginning of the season than at the end, which means it can be here before we know it. How prepared are New Jersey drivers?

Crash science

A law firm, Angel Reyes & Associates, researched, states fare better and worse when driving conditions are impacted by snowy weather. They used crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, then made their comparison based on crashes per 100,000 population.

Be glad we’re not living in Wyoming. By far that is the most dangerous state when roads turn slick according to a press release on their study. Wyoming has nearly three crashes per 100,000 and is the only state where that number exceeds two.

West Virginia, Mississippi, Vermont, and Montana round out the top five. My son lives in Vermont, attending UVM, so I’m not thrilled to hear this.

Rhode Island was found to be the nation’s safest state for bad-weather driving.

Where New Jersey ranks

The study was actually pretty good news for New Jersey. Whether you chalk it solely up to our driving skills or consider how our Department of Transportation does a respectable job of keeping our roads clear, New Jersey was in the top 10 safest states. We ranked 41st for accidents in winter with 0.68 crashes per 100,000 people.

Play it smart

I know we know this, but sometimes, just before snowy season, it can’t hurt to hear it again. Traffic experts say one of the most important things to do when roads get slick is to slow down. Brake gently and way early. Speaking of early, leave the house earlier than normal to allow for those slower speeds. Your job doesn’t need you there only that day. They need you tomorrow as well.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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