GLOUCESTER COUNTY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Traffic-related fatalities are up in New Jersey and Delaware, while Pennsylvania is seeing a slight decline. The number of deaths on New Jersey roads has been trending upward for a few years, and a Gloucester County police official says an increase in impaired driving is one contributing factor.
State police data shows 450 people were killed in crashes in New Jersey this year so far. That’s about 50 more than last year, which was about 50 more than in 2020.
Sgt. Nick Schock of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office says there are a number of issues contributing to the rise in deaths, but one thing does stand out.
“The trends that I’ve noticed so far from the driver’s side has been an increase in impaired driving,” Schock said.
“Drugs and alcohol, if you want to just broadly determine impairment, typically contribute to around 30% of our fatalities. For us in Gloucester last year, it was closer to 50%, which is a pretty significant increase.”
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He is also president of the New Jersey Police Traffic Officers Association.
Schock says, fewer people have been out on the roads in the last few years, and police have been pulling over fewer drivers. Perhaps because of that, he says, more drivers may feel emboldened to engage in risky behavior.
He says distracted driving is also a big problem. And Schock points out the percentage of pedestrian fatalities in Jersey is about twice the national average.
Delaware’s traffic deaths are up from 19 last year to 50 this year. Pennsylvania has seen a slight decrease, so far, from 236 to 221.
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