Car accident statistics for Ocean County, New Jersey (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Ocean County by year

Car accident deaths rose from 27 in 2020 to 42 in 2021 and 46 in 2022. The count fell to 37 in 2023, then rose to 38 in 2024. The highest count was 46 in 2022, and the lowest was 27 in 2020. The 2024 count was 11 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

All traffic deaths numbered 30 in 2020, 44 in 2021, 52 in 2022, 43 in 2023 and 44 in 2024. Car accident deaths accounted for 90.0%, 95.5%, 88.5%, 86.0% and 86.4% of those respective annual totals. That share was highest in 2021 and lowest in 2023, while the death count itself was highest in 2022.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Ocean County car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 130 deaths, or 68.4% of car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 15 deaths, or 7.9%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 45 deaths, or 23.7%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The categories describe people killed in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes, rather than separate sets of crashes. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) follows the FARS classification and is not a literal test of a person's position inside or outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Angle (side impact) collisions accounted for 46 deaths, or 24.2% of all car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024. Head-on accounted for 20 deaths, or 10.5%; Rear-end for 8, or 4.2%; and Sideswipe for 9, or 4.7%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 107 deaths, or 56.3%. This describes the first harmful event, such as striking a parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. It does not mean no other vehicle was present. A motor vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic; physical movement is not the classification test.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Daytime, defined as 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 100 car accident deaths, or 52.6%, from 2020 through 2024. Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 90 deaths, or 47.4%. The daytime count was higher than the nighttime count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The land-use classification recorded 167 deaths as Urban, or 87.9%, and 17 as Rural, or 8.9%. Unknown accounted for 6 deaths, or 3.2%. Separately, car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 18, representing 9.5% of the passenger-vehicle-involved death count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with New Jersey and the United States

Ocean County's car accident death rate was 5.8 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. The New Jersey rate was 6.1, and the United States rate was 10.5. Ocean County's rate was lower than both. These rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates and do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The listed neighboring county rates were 14.0 in Atlantic County, 5.9 in Monmouth County and 8.1 in Burlington County. Ocean County's rate was lower than each of these rates. Among the listed neighboring counties, Atlantic County had the highest rate and Monmouth County had the lowest. The comparison uses the same average annual deaths per 100,000 residents measure for each area.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes

Recorded characteristics cover all fatal crashes in Ocean County, of any vehicle type, rather than only car accident deaths. As shares of all traffic deaths, Speeding-related represented 21.6%, Roadway departure 41.8%, At an intersection 30.5%, and Pedestrian involved 17.8%. Motorcycle involved represented 16.9%, Hit-and-run 5.2%, Driver distraction reported 24.9%, and In a work zone 0.9%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Roadway departure had the largest share among the listed characteristics, while In a work zone had the smallest. A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These records are not findings of fault or cause.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.

About these figures

FARS records fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public when a death occurs within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. Counts use crash location, not the deceased person's residence. When reading with a car accident lawyer search in mind, keep that location-based grouping in view.^[8][6][7]

Data for 2020 through 2023 are Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 and multiply by 100,000. This gives average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustment for miles driven or visitors. The separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Monmouth County, New Jersey (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Burlington County, New Jersey (2020-2024)
• New Jersey car accident statistics (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Truck accident statistics for Ocean County, New Jersey (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)