Planning a getaway by car from New Jersey? You’ve reached the right place. In this post, we discuss a few great Road Trips you’ll definitely enjoy, plus a few more key tips you should know about.
3 Road Trips From New Jersey You Should Try
There are plenty of lovely road trips you can do from New Jersey. Some routes will go along the beautiful Atlantic coastline, others will give you a great view of NYC, while other routes explore the stunning national parks of the state.
1. Drive To The Palisades
Situated on the west side of the Hudson River, The Palisades is a stunning array of cliffs that go from Jersey City to Nyack in NY. It’s an impressive 20 miles geologic experience that is only 2 hours from NJ. You should stop to hike at Tallman Mountain State Park, visit Old Croton Aqueduct State Park, and tour around the lovely Piedmont village.
2. Try The Kittatinny Ridge Loop
This 75-mile road trip starts at either Newton or the Delaware Water Gap, and goes in a clockwise loop, just choose where you prefer to start. In this beautiful route, you’ll drive through the Old Mine Road, which follows the Delaware River. You can stop for tours and good viewpoints at Milbrook village, Mount Tammany, Stokes State Park, and Kittatinny Ridge, and enjoy the breeze at Turtle Beach.
Mount Tammany. Photo by Peter Lloyd on Unsplash.com3. Pine Barrens
This amazing 130-mile road trip takes you through one of the most special scenic environments in the country. What’s included? 10 State Wildlife areas, 3 State Parks, 5 country parks and so much more. Among our top favorite places to stop are Cape May National Wildlife Refuges, Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest, and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. I recommend making it a weekend trip, as one day will be too short to see it all.
Road Trip Safety Tips You Should Follow
Motor vehicles can be deadly. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buses took the lives of nearly 600 victims in 2020 in New Jersey. According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, that amounted to 190,783 car accidents in 2020. Car accident settlements in New Jersey vary. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average claim amount is roughly $18,417. Serious accidents requiring surgeries garner over $100,000.
Regardless of how one interprets car accident statistics, one victim is too many. If you or a loved one were involved in an auto accident in New Jersey, the best approach is to contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Specialists like these New Jersey car accident lawyers can help you file a claim and get the compensation you need.
Who Is Responsible for the Most Car Accidents?
If there was a catchall for causing car accidents, it’s undoubtedly the driver’s negligent behavior.
Careless acts that cause accidents:
- Handheld cell phone (1000 crashes) use and distracted driving
- Driving impaired
- Young or inexperienced drivers
How To Proceed After a Car Accident
Obtaining legal counsel means having extra security to protect your rights. The sooner you seek a lawyer’s legal protection, the better they can serve you. Car accident also implies accidents with trucks, boats, pedestrians, Uber, rental cars, etc.
Insurance Claims
First-party claims mean your insurance company settles the damage amounts (minus deductible).
A third-party road traffic accidents compensation claim happens when the other driver’s insurance provider only compensates for damages their client is responsible for. This amount is often not enough to cover the full loss. Consulting with a lawyer ensures that all potential avenues for additional compensation are pursued, including seeking damages beyond the limits of the other driver’s policy.
Tips on how to proceed:
- You must report any accident to the police (depending on severity & over $500 damages)
- File a written report within 10 days
- Obtain an accident report for injury claims
- Consult medical advice immediately
- Keep a medical record and a journal of facts & events
- When possible, get the names of the involved parties & their insurance details
- Get a reliable witness
- Don’t share details of your accident
Injuries and circumstances may prevent you from gathering information. It’s imperative to contact legal support.
New Jersey: A No-Fault State
No-fault means that the insurance provider must cover medical bills and expenses. It’s the law.
This no-fault law also requires motorists to have coverage for personal injury protection in their policy (PIP).
If your accident damages and expenses exceed your PIP, you file a claim against the negligent driver. It’s prudent to seek legal representation because your PIP doesn’t protect you against non-economic damages.
New Jersey Car Insurance Requirements
New Jersey drivers can choose a Basic or Standard insurance policy. These policies have a minimum.
If an accident causes significant damage beyond those payments, acquiring a lawyer to sort through the legalities helps many victims recover additional losses not covered under these policies.
Coping With the Financial Burden
Car accidents can cause numerous injuries, including broken bones, brain injuries, soft tissue damage, disfigurement, and death. Even minor injuries can have lasting consequences, as does mental anguish and suffering.
Some insurance policies resist compensating the victim for substantial losses.
A good lawyer:
- They know the law & your rights
- They represent you
- They get you the medical treatments
- They negotiate the best settlement
- They help you recover any outstanding benefits
- They investigate every detail
- They don’t get paid until you do
Filing a Lawsuit
The law in NJ is mostly on your side. Professional attorneys are there to negotiate the legal aspect. Rely on legal representation if you or a loved one suffered any of these permanent injuries:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of a fetus
- Other permanent injuries
- Displaced fracture
Time Limits
Accident victims in New Jersey have two years to file a claim after the incident.
Conclusion: Do You Need a Lawyer?
A lawyer offers you the best legal advice. They help you navigate all the intricacies and complicated insurance documents and fight for your client. It’s recommended you get the legal help of an expert so you can get the best possible compensation.
Alex is a computer geek, programmer, who loves traveling. Not the usual mix, but Alex is always with his laptop – no matter how high the mountain he’s hiking on. On every peak he reaches, he writes a story that captures it all.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram