Crime & Safety

Motor Vehicle Fatalities in New Jersey at All-Time Low in 2013

Nearly 550 people were killed on New Jersey's roads in 2013 — the lowest in the last 30 years.

Written By Melinda Stevens

There were 508 crashes resulting in 544 people being killed on New Jersey roadways during 2013, according to the New Jersey State Police. It is the lowest number of lives lost in motor vehicle crashes since the New Jersey State Police began recording these deaths more than 30 years ago.

According to a release from the state police, the number of deaths caused by motor vehicles in 2013 is eight percent lower than 2012 when there were 589 fatalities. The previous record low was set in 2010, when the New Jersey State Police reported 556 fatalities. Traffic deaths have been cut in half since 1981 when 1,160 were recorded.

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"Ultimately, safer driving is a decision every single driver must make, every time they sit in that driver’s seat," Colonel Rick Fuentes, New Jersey State Police Superintendent, said in the release.

Over the past holiday season, two fatal crashes were reported during the Christmas holiday and one on New Year’s Day, also an improvement compared to previous years, according to the release.

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The release further stated that seat belt usage fell from 94.5-percent in 2011 to 88.3-percent in 2012. Even with the decrease, 88.3-percent still remains above the national average, which is 86-percent.


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