With seniors driving to school and outside for lunch, there is no doubt that students use highways to get around rather than driving on the streets. Although it gets you to your destination faster, there are dangers that drivers need to look out for.

One highway commonly driven by West Orange drivers is Interstate 280, a 17.6-mile freeway that begins at I-80 and U.S. 46 in Parsippany Troy-Hills and ends at I-95 and the N.J Turnpike in Kearny. This freeway has exits through Parsippany-Troy Hills, Roseland, Livingston, West Orange, East Orange, Orange, Newark, Harrison, and Kearny. From these exits, it can lead to Garden State Parkway, I-95, I-85, and N.J. Turnpike.

Though the freeway stretches vastly, it is a dangerous one. There are always traffic jams, construction causing lanes to be closed, awful car/truck accidents, cars stranded, and weather conditions that make it unsafe to drive on.

I-280 was named “one of the most dangerous roads in New Jersey” because of the 23.8 annual casualties per 100 miles that have happened.

One section of the highway, between Harrison and Steuben streets in East Orange, has had 266 crashes. The average traffic volume for that section of Route 280 was 80,360 vehicles a day in 2016.  

Ensuring we are safe on the roads will be a top priority to keep yourself and drivers around you safe. Make sure you always wear your seatbelt, don’t text and drive, be on the lookout on the road, drive within the speed limit, don’t drive intoxicated, etc.