| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 2,848[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 588[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 6.1[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 9,506,354[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
New Jersey car accident statistics record 2,848 deaths from 2020 through 2024, representing 87.8% of the state's 3,242 traffic deaths during that period. In 2024, car accident deaths numbered 588, or 87.8% of the 670 traffic deaths recorded that year. The period's car accident death count covers 2,680 fatal crashes in New Jersey. Deaths and fatal crashes are separate measures.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
A car accident here means a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van. The death count includes everyone killed in those crashes, across the passenger-vehicle, other-vehicle and Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) categories. The figures use NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Census Bureau population estimates. Counts identify where crashes happened, rather than where the people killed lived.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in New Jersey by year
Annual car accident deaths rose from 506 in 2020 to 597 in 2021 and 608 in 2022. They fell to 549 in 2023, then rose to 588 in 2024. The highest count was 608 in 2022, and the lowest was 506 in 2020. The 2024 count was 82 deaths higher than the 2020 count.[1][2][3][4][5]
New Jersey's share of the national car accident death total was 1.5% in 2020, 1.6% in 2021, 1.7% in 2022, 1.6% in 2023 and 1.8% in 2024. For 2020 through 2024, the state's 2,848 deaths represented 1.6% of the national total of 176,219. The annual national share was highest in 2024 and lowest in 2020.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents | Share of U.S. total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 506 | 586 | 86.3% | 1.5% |
| 2021 | 597 | 692 | 86.3% | 1.6% |
| 2022 | 608 | 689 | 88.2% | 1.7% |
| 2023 | 549 | 605 | 90.7% | 1.6% |
| 2024 | 588 | 670 | 87.8% | 1.8% |
2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.
Who died in New Jersey car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 1,595 deaths, or 56.0% of car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 284 deaths, or 10.0%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 969 deaths, or 34.0%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Each category counts deaths in fatal crashes involving a passenger vehicle. The Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) label follows the FARS classification and is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. Its other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Collision types and setting
By manner of collision, car accident deaths were: Angle (side impact), 539; Head-on, 209; Rear-end, 214; Sideswipe, 121; Other, 8; and Unknown, 10. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 1,747 deaths (61.3%). This describes a first harmful event other than a collision between motor vehicles in transport, such as striking a fixed object or a rollover. A vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Daytime accounted for 1,271 deaths (44.6%); nighttime accounted for 1,574 (55.3%); unknown time accounted for 3 (0.1%). Urban deaths numbered 2,523 (88.6%), rural deaths numbered 282 (9.9%), and unknown land use accounted for 43 (1.5%).[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Counties with the most car accident deaths
Middlesex County recorded the most car accident deaths, with 270, followed by Essex County with 224, Camden County with 206 and Atlantic County with 193. Burlington County, Monmouth County and Ocean County each recorded 190 deaths. The remaining listed counts were Bergen County, 180; Gloucester County, 177; Union County, 140; Mercer County, 128; Passaic County, 116; Cumberland County, 113; Morris County, 98; and Hudson County, 92.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Death counts and population-based rates describe different measures. Among the listed counties, Cumberland County had the highest average annual deaths per 100,000 residents at 14.7, while Hudson County had the lowest at 2.6. Middlesex County's rate was 6.2. These rate rankings apply to the listed counties, rather than every county statewide.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| County | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 270 | 6.2 |
| Essex County | 224 | 5.2 |
| Camden County | 206 | 7.8 |
| Atlantic County | 193 | 14.0 |
| Burlington County | 190 | 8.1 |
| Monmouth County | 190 | 5.9 |
| Ocean County | 190 | 5.8 |
| Bergen County | 180 | 3.7 |
| Gloucester County | 177 | 11.5 |
| Union County | 140 | 4.8 |
| Mercer County | 128 | 6.6 |
| Passaic County | 116 | 4.4 |
| Cumberland County | 113 | 14.7 |
| Morris County | 98 | 3.8 |
| Hudson County | 92 | 2.6 |
Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.
How New Jersey compares with the national rate
New Jersey's car accident death rate was 6.1, compared with the national rate of 10.5. Both figures measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. The state rate was lower than the national rate. The corresponding death counts were 2,848 for New Jersey and 176,219 for the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The calculation divides deaths during the period by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates, then multiplies by 100,000. It does not adjust for miles driven or visitors. New Jersey's July 1, 2024 population estimate of 9,506,354 is presented separately; that estimate alone is not the denominator. When reading with a car accident lawyer in mind, keep the crash-location counts distinct from the population-based rates.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
About these figures
NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System is a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and a vehicle occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow the crash location, not the deceased person's residence.[8][6][7]
The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. Figures for 2024 use the Annual Report File and may change with the Final File. Rates use the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 for 2020 through 2024, expressing average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors; the separately shown 2024 population is not the denominator.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijkl "Annual resident population estimates for counties, April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA)". U.S. Census Bureau. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefgh "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ab "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record