Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety reported a notable decrease in traffic-related deaths in New Jersey for 2025. Preliminary figures show fatal crashes dropped by nearly 16%, from 647 in 2024 to 547 in 2025. The total number of fatalities, which includes drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians, declined by about 15%, from 684 to 582.
Pedestrian deaths saw a decrease of almost 24%, falling from 230 in 2024 to 175 in 2025. Driver fatalities also went down by approximately 15%, with numbers dropping from 350 to 299. Motorcyclist deaths were reduced by about 40%, declining from a record high of 120 in the previous year to 72.
Attorney General Platkin stated, “The decline in traffic fatalities in New Jersey in 2025 is a clear step in the right direction. Targeted traffic enforcement, driver education, and engineering safety improvements statewide have all made our state’s drivers and pedestrians safer. Our office works tirelessly to keep our residents safe on the roads. But there is still more work for us to do to drive down traffic fatalities, as even one traffic fatality is one too many. We will continue to take targeted action to drive down traffic fatalities in New Jersey.”
Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, added: “While we are encouraged that traffic fatalities in New Jersey declined significantly in 2025, each of those numbers represents a life lost and a family forever changed. This decrease shows that our collective efforts are making a difference, but it also reminds us that there is still urgent work to do.”
According to early data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), road fatalities nationwide fell by about eight percent during the first half of last year. New Jersey was among the majority of states and territories—38 out of all—that experienced such declines during this period.
Fifteen out of twenty-one counties in New Jersey recorded fewer fatalities than the previous year; however, Camden, Cape May, Morris, Hudson, Ocean, and Salem counties saw increases. Ocean County had the highest number with sixty-three deaths; Hunterdon County had six.
In support of these results, the Division allocated over $20 million across law enforcement agencies and partners throughout the state for various safety programs last year. These efforts included visible enforcement actions paired with public awareness campaigns coordinated with police departments and nonprofit groups.
The New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin serves as a key agency responsible for legal matters and public safety across all regions within New Jersey through its various divisions overseeing law enforcement and regulatory functions (official website). The office upholds legal standards while working toward protecting residents’ lives and property (official website), exercising authority over enforcement activities throughout every county (official website). Its statutory mandate includes prosecuting offenses and regulating public safety issues statewide (official website). Services offered range from legal representation at state level to crime lab support and victim advocacy initiatives (official website).
