Traffic deaths are on the rise across New Jersey, leading lawmakers and law enforcement officials to question what they might do to restore safety on state roadways and better protect those who travel them. While, at the national level, traffic fatalities have decreased in 2022, this was not the case in New Jersey.
Per The Press of Atlantic City, 682 New Jersey crashes led to 706 fatalities in 2022. This is an increase over the 682 crashes that occurred last year, and it is also the first time since 2007 that annual traffic deaths within the state topped 700.
Statistics on New Jersey crashes and traffic deaths
Research shows that the majority of traffic deaths that took place in New Jersey in 2022 involved the death of the driver of a vehicle. Older motorists, or those between the ages of 50 and 64, were those most likely to die in a New Jersey car accident, followed by drivers that fell between the 30 and 39-year age range. Pedestrians saw the second-highest number of road deaths within state lines, with 192 dying in 2022, and 17 cyclists also lost their lives on New Jersey roads last year.
Measures aimed at reducing New Jersey crashes and traffic deaths
Law enforcement agencies across the state are planning to ramp up their enforcement efforts to help reduce fatalities on state roadways. This includes ramping up enforcement of commercial drivers engaging in dangerous driving behaviors. State officials also continue to implement their 2020 Strategic Highway Safety plan, which aims to help restore safety to the state’s roads over a five-year span.
Many New Jersey law enforcement agencies also plan to make more traffic stops and issue more citations to crack down on dangerous and deadly driving behaviors.