HJF/L/W Division Motor Vehicles You Are Viewing an Archived Report from the New Jersey State Library
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You Are Viewing an Archived Report from the New Jersey State Library DEPARTMENT OF LAW ANO PUBLIC SAFETY INTER DEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATION Date August 2, 1951 MEMORANDUM TO: Roger H. McDonough, State Librarian SUBJECT : 1950 Annual Report I \\rish to inform you I am arranging to forward to you six copies of the .Ari..nual Report as compiled by the Division of Motor Vehicles for the year 1950. ~Iv~~ ~n ,J. Ferber Title Director HJF/L/w Division Motor Vehicles You Are Viewing an Archived Report from the New Jersey State Library :: I '( l f, \ ... ; DEPARTMENT OF LA 'V AND PUBLIC SAFETY !' I l FORTY-FIFTH !I ~. ;, I ;'; .,{ t I j ANNUAL REPORT ' ~ .:j ! j I OF THE I :. ~ ; I :; l i'. ! DIVISION OF -MOTOR VEHICLES .i·,,. \ OF THE { I ! I STATE OF NE'\V .JERSEY I; "i l FOR THE YEAR I I 1950 97 901 Iv\ J lw ; 7\ J MARTIN J. FERBER WILLIAM J. DEARDEN Director Deputy Director You Are Viewing an Archived Report from the New Jersey State Library CONTENTS Hon. Theodore D. Parsons, PAGE Attorney General of the Foreword 3 Sm· Revenue, Registrations, Licenses . 8 Pursuant to statutes v'~ Accident Statistics . 10 registration and regulation o: gation of traffic conditions, Mileage Death Rates . 12 and regulations relating to tr Economic Loss . 14 a report of the activities of except those of revenue, veh; The Alcohol Factor in Accidents . 15 registration year ending Ma·· Truck Accidents . 15 Gross revenue from re.:,: The Pedestrian . 17 amounted to $37,667,980.45, School Bus Accidents . 18 Motor vehicle registratic 1,848,797 were for passeug·er · State Highway Accidents . 22 Accident Records by Municipalities . 27 Driver licenses issued c'.> of 1951, the number of licen~ Hearings-License Revocations . 36 Motor vehicle travel in . Fatal Accident Prosecution Survey . 39 Inspector Force . 46 Driver Examination Statistics ....................................... 48 Reportable traffic accide: Traffic Law Arrests 53 more than in the preceding :, non-fatally injured was 83,I Traffic Engineering G87 which, although 95 moff Vehicle Inspections 63 ring in the peak year 193'1 \': Safety Education ................................................... 66 Ou the surface, it would . have been of little value in Financial Responsibility ............................................. 70 scious. There are certain elc Certificates of Owne~ship ........................................... 73 present day highway accider:' Junk Yard Supervision ............................................. 75 Foremost, is the fact tha est in the State's history. M Service of Process ................................................... 76 miles. There were J 50,908 m< Bus Excise ......................................................... 76 additional licensed New Jen<'c Information Service ................................................. 77 A long range view does : highway fatalities. The dro:. Changes in Laws ................................................... 78 achieved in the faee of (l2 P'' Multilith Room .................................................... 79 cent greater mileage. Another encouraging asp were 266 out of the year's 6S pared with the pedestrian toL improvement when consideri•-: You Are Viewing an Archived Report from the New Jersey State Library ANNUAL REPORT April 1, 1951 Hon. Theodore D. Parsons, PAGE Attorney General of the State of New Jersey 3 Sm· 8 Pursuant to statutes vesting in the Director of Motor Vehicles full charge of the IO registration and regulation of all motor vehicles; the licensing of drivers; and the investi gation of traffic conditions, means for their improvement and the enforcement of laws 12 and regulations relating to traffic, including pedestrian traYei, there is submitted herewith 14 a report of the activities of the Division of Motor Vehicle.> for the calendar year 1950; . except those of revenue, vehicle inspections and certificates of ownership which cover the 15 registration year ending March 31, 1951. 15 Gross revenue from registrations, licenses and other administrative responsibilities 17 amounted to $37,667,980.45, or 11.9 per cent above the previous year. 18 Motor vehicle registrations totaled 1,637,212, the highest on record. Of this number, 1,343,797 were for passenger cars and 210,689 for commercial vehicles and farm trucks. Driver licenses issued during the registration year numbered 1,890,979. By the end 27 of 1951, the number of licensed drivers should pass the two million mark. 36 Motor vehicle travel in the State exceeded 16,800,000,000 miles. 39 46 ACCIDENTS 48 Reportable traffic accidents reached the unprecedented total of 79,970, or 26.6 per cent 53 more than in the preceding year and the greatest toll on record. The number of persons non-fatally injured was 33,112, likewise the highest yearly record. Fatalities numbered 62 687 which, although 95 more than in 1949, was nearly half the total traffic deaths occur 63 ring in the peak year 193'1 when 1,302 traffic fatalities occurred in the State. 66 On the surface, it would appear that safety preachings and precautions over the years have been of little value in making the motoring and walking public more safety con 70 scious. There are certain elements, however, that must be considered in appraising the 73 present day highway accident record. 75 Foremost, is the fact that exposure to accidents in New Jersey in 1950 was the great est in the State's history. Motor vehicle travel exceeded that of 1949 by l,460,000,000 76 miles. There were 150,908 more vehicles registered and in operation. There were 112,089 76 additional licensed New Jersey drivers on the roads. 77 A long range view does indicate definite progress in safety, especially in the field of highway fatalities. The drop from 1,302 deaths twenty years ago to 687 in 1!)50 was 78 achieved in the face of (i2 per cent more vehicles, 76 per cent more drivers and 124 per 79 cent greater mileage. Another encouraging aspect is the decline in pedestrian fatalities. Pedestrian deaths were 266 out of the year's 687 total, which was 38.5 per cent of the total deaths as com pared with the pedestrian toll in 194.5 when it was 60 per cent of the total. Here is marked improvement when considering the increased hazards on the streets and highways. s You Are Viewing an Archived Report from the New Jersey State Library The mileage death rate, or deaths per hundred million vehicle miles of travel was facilities in the Southern part 4.08, a rise from 3.85 in 1949. The national death rat.e in 1950 was 7 .5. In 19Sl the New with a total of 47 testing lane~ Jersey death rate was 17 .54. Each inspection, despite t The economic loss from the year's accidents was $44.655,000, or $9.23 per person. In the vehicles rejected on initia! 1949 the economic loss was $38,'iso,ooo. more Yehicles were testeJ thaE Inability of their owner.' NEW CAR SALES surrender of 44.190 registratio: New car sales totaled 252,464, as compared with 195,991 m the previous year, an registrations were subsequentl: increase of 28.8 per cent.. CHANGES r ENFORCEMENT VEHIC;. While enforcement, as measured by total traffic violation arrests, exclusive of parking, The Division put forth, • increased 13 per cent over 1949, it did not keep pace with the 27 per cent rise in total the method of issuing driver Ii( accidents. Arrests totaled 132,029 as compared with 116,422 in 1949 and 94,418 in 1948. public convenience and admi11' The year's arrests for speeding numbered 44,753, or 34 per cent of total apprehensions. These recommendations c Penalties also were out of step with the increased seriousness of the accident situa birthday, at a cost of $8.25. 1 tion. The average fine imposed in traffic cases, mandatory fines excluded, was $6.69, a ure would be handled by ma.~ drop from $6.73 in 1949. · :igencies. The other proposal calls i :Municipal and county police were responsible for 64.8 per cent of total traffic arrests. at the agencies by the use o "\fat.or Vehicle Inspectors 11.7 per cent, State Police 21 per cent and others 2.5 per cent. stronger plate would be useli Since the adoption of the no-fix summons two years ago, traffic arrests, excluding vehicle for which it was issu; parking, have risen 40 per cent in the State. The proposals, if adopteci DRIVER EXAMINATIONS The Division examined 192,418 applicants for driver licenses, approving 158.346 who As an aid to civil defen met the driving, written and vision tests required by regulations and rejecting 3.t.,072. changed the method of licen,. The total of applicants was seven per cent greater than in 1949. for this professional group, : Every sixth applicant passed was 17 years of age. One in every 4.7 persons licensed effective beginning with the J (all ages) was given a conditional license. One in every 5.4 applicants was licensed condi tionally to wear glasses when driving. FIN/:.. There is still need for expanding the method of examining applicants for driver Enforcement of the Fi1m; licenses to include tests for reaction times, field of vision, depth perception, glare recovery. compelling owners and driver: attitude, enforcement procedure an<l all the factors having to do with safe and law-observ give evidence of their financ ance usage of the rnad. Budgetary limitations prevent such expansion at I.he presrnt. time. highways. The judgn1ent feature of MOIOR VEHICLE INSPECTIONS arisinu from traffic accidents year. "'By subjecting defend<i: The completion of 13 years of motor vehicle inspections finrls this art.ivit.y still 11 totaling $624,542, was subser; vital safety factor as well as a direct financial benefit to car owners hy hringing to atten force prompt settlement of cc tion serious mechanical defects in their cars. During the year 1950 there were 580,000 more vehicles registered in the State than in 1938, the first year of station operation.