Casino factors contribute to death toll on N.J. roads

John Curran

Monday, March 11, 2002 | 9:40 a.m.

MULLICA TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Between inattentive drivers, fatigued casino gamblers and outdated highways, the deadliest New Jersey county to drive in last year was one of its least-populated.

Atlantic County led the state with 68 traffic deaths in 2001, even though it ranks seventh-lowest among the 21 counties for population density.

The county's highways bear the brunt of traffic headed to and from Atlantic City's casinos, which employ more than 45,000 and attract more than 30 million gamblers annually.

"One reason is that you have the biggest tourist attraction in the state there, in Atlantic City casinos," said Peter O'Hagan, director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Safety, which compiles the figures. "Another is that the southern part of the state is one of the areas that's the most booming, in terms of new residents, new homes and traffic."

Ocean County was second in traffic deaths, with 66, followed by Burlington (58) and Essex and Middlesex (57).

In Atlantic County, one of the most dangerous roadways is Route 30, one of three main feeder routes into Atlantic City.

In 2001, 16 motorists, passengers or pedestrians died in crashes on it, including five in rural Mullica Township. Here, Route 30 is a four-lane highway dotted with homes, motels and roadside businesses.

Just crossing the street can be a challenge against the casino-bound buses, trucks and passenger cars that zoom along, not always obeying the 50 mph speed limit.

"A lot of it is the influx of traffic we're experiencing with all this growth," said Mullica Township police Lt. Jim Davis. "Traffic has increased drastically, and when that happens, you'll have people who aren't paying attention sometimes."

Michael Schurman, director of highway safety for Atlantic County, said U.S. 30 and U.S. 40/322, the other local road serving Atlantic City, are overwhelmed by the volume of traffic they now handle.

"These roadways were not built to sustain the 34 million people who come into Atlantic City every year. We need more state police and local patrol units," Schurman said.

O'Hagan said people driving out of Atlantic City after working or playing in the casinos are often the victims.

"We've seen many of these single-car crashes where the vehicle just runs off the road, with no skidmarks. They're the result of driver fatigue. These are people who've been in the casinos, either as employees or patrons, and they've been up a long time without any sleep."

Drivers weren't the only ones at fault. Of the 68 people killed, 14 were pedestrians -- up from 6 in 2000 -- bucking a statewide trend of fewer pedestrian fatalities.

"The bottom line is that 99 percent of these deaths result from human error," said Schurman. "People have to take responsibility for their own safety, whether they're motorists or pedestrians."