Recent data suggests that traffic deaths were down a good deal in New Jersey last year.
This data, from the New Jersey State Police, is the preliminary traffic fatality count for the state for 2018. As a note, as this is a preliminary count, the numbers could change by the time the final count is issued.
According to this data, there were 9.6 percent fewer traffic fatalities in the state last year as compared to the prior year. This put an end to a four-year trend of rising traffic deaths in the state. It also is the largest drop in such fatalities that the state has seen in a decade.
The preliminary count indicates that around two-thirds of the state’s counties saw traffic death decreases last year. Monmouth County was among the counties that saw a particularly large drop. Traffic fatalities were down by 32.6 percent in the county.
Why do you think traffic deaths were down so much in Monmouth County and New Jersey last year? Do you think these trends will continue in 2019? What would you like to see the state’s drivers do to keep things safe out on the roads this year?
One area where the state didn’t see a lot of progress in 2018, according to the preliminary data, was in the reduction of pedestrian fatalities. Such deaths were down last year, but only just a little. And pedestrian fatalities made up 31 percent of traffic deaths in the state last year. This is the highest portion ever recorded for this class of traffic fatality.
How safe pedestrians are out on the roads is affected by a range of things, including how responsibly drivers act. It is critical for drivers to watch for pedestrians and be mindful of pedestrian safety when out on the roads. What do you think are currently the biggest dangers pedestrians face here in New Jersey? What do you think should be done to help reduce these dangers?