New Jersey Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Law Offices of Scott D. Grossman : Serving Monmouth County, Bergen County

Carrying on in the tradition of legislation named after victims, aimed at preventing repeats of the heinous actions that cost their lives, new legislation that will require drunk drivers in New Jersey to install ignition lock devices on their cars, could soon be passed.

The bill is called Ricci's Law, named after Ricci Branca, a 17-year-old boy from Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County who was killed in a drunk driving accident. Ricci was biking to Ocean City with a bunch of friends, when Stephen Fench slammed his car into the group. The friends escaped with minor injuries. Ricci died from injuries sustained in the crash. Fench, it was revealed later was not only a repeat DUI offender, but had a blood alcohol level of .339 at the time of the crash. That's more than four times the legal limit in New Jersey of 0.08.   The police reported that  he spent the four hours before the accident drinking up to 10 glasses of wine at a nearby bar. Since, then Fench has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

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  Image courtesy: Flickr - MoBikeFed

When gas prices began their stratospheric rise over last spring and summer, more New Jersey residents threw away their car keys, and dusted off their bicycles to be able to cope, a move that is being pointed to an increase in the number of deaths in bicycle accidents across the state.

As of early December, a total of 22 people had been killed in bicycle accidents in New Jersey compared to last year, as well as the year before. In fact, the fatality numbers this year are the highest they have been in six years. Most of the fatalities that occurred as a result of bicycle accidents this year, including the three that took place in Morris County, were related to people who were going to or returning from work at the time of the crash.  The numbers have been distressing enough for the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic to plan new safety initiatives targeted at the bicycling community before the new year.

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In New Jersey, Title 39:4-10.1, the Helmet Law, states that anyone under 17 years of age that rides a bicycle or is a passenger on a bicycle, or is towed as a passenger by a bicycle must wear a safety helmet. The Helmet Law also covers roller and in-line skates and skateboards.  Initial violators of the helmet law will receive warnings. For minors, the parent or legal guardian may be fined a maximum of $25 for the 1 st offense and a maximum of $100 for subsequent offense(s), if lack of parental supervision contributed to the offense.

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