Traffic Deaths On Rise After NJ Hit 14-Year High In 2021

NEW JERSEY — Deaths from vehicle collisions hit a 14-year high last year in New Jersey. But preliminary federal data shows the Garden State could suffer more traffic fatalities in 2022.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released early estimates Wednesday for traffic deaths in the first quarter of this year. The agency projected a 13.7 percent rise in estimated fatalities compared to estimates from that timeframe in 2021 — 131 last year to 149 this year.

Last year, driving accidents killed 698 people in New Jersey, according to state data. That's an 18.7 percent increase over the prior year's total (588 in 2020) and the state's highest death toll since 2007 (724).

Similar trends have emerged nationwide. The NHTSA estimated that 42,915 people in the United States died in traffic crashes last year — 10.5 higher than 2020's total and the nation's highest figure since 2005.

"The overall numbers are still moving in the wrong direction," said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff. "Now is the time for all states to double down on traffic safety."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in November, makes investments in highway safety and increases the NHTSA's budget by more than 50 percent. The agency says the funding will be key to reducing traffic fatalities.

Although overall driving decreased 11 percent in 2020 — the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — traffic fatalities still increased 6.8 percent nationwide. University of Utah cognitive neuroscientist Dr. David Strayer attributes this rise to what he calls the “four horsemen of death," which are speed, impairment, distraction and fatigue.

With less traffic on the road, some drivers took advantage and ramped up their speed. The American Psychological Association also factors such as increases in drunk-driving deaths, overall exhaustion from frontline workers, distracting technology and automated-vehicle technology that doesn't always correlate with greater safety.

State authorities have reported 439 traffic deaths in 2022 — see county data here.

Here's the NHTSA's full report.