In 2004, 723 motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes on New Jersey's roadways. This is significantly fewer fatalities than the 775 killed in 1997. However, it does not represent a general downward trend in traffic deaths. Fatalities have not dropped below 720, and preliminary 2005 and year-to-date 2006 data show dramatic upswings in traffic deaths (to 758 in 2005, the second highest number since 1997).
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Source: NJ Dept. of Law and Public Safety, 1997-2004. |
Per capita traffic fatalities have dropped 13.6 percent from 96 per 1 million residents in 1997 to 83 in 2004. And the number of miles driven between traffic fatalities has grown more than 23 percent during the period 1997 to 2004 to 100,523.
Pedestrian fatalities meanwhile have grown during this period, with 150 pedestrians killed in 2004 compared to 145 in 1997. But again, year-to-year data vary within a fairly defined range rather than describing a clear upward or downward trend. Pedestrian fatalities average around 150 per year. Per capita, pedestrian fatalities declined by just over 4 percent.
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Source: NJ Dept. of Law and Public Safety, 1997-2004. |
Pedestrian fatalities remain approximately 20 percent of total traffic fatalities. This is significantly higher than the national average of 11 percent, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.