New Jersey is the most dangerous state for pedestrians in the country — and drugs and booze may be to blame.
Out of 2,901 fatal car crashes in the Garden State between 2018 and 2022, a staggering 915 — or 31.5% — involved vehicles that killed pedestrians, according to an analysis of the latest available federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.
Pedestrians deaths in Garden State car crashes reached a grim 36-year record high last year, with 221 walkers killed in fatal collisions in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023, according to New Jersey State Police.
Despite a decline in 2023, a state police report on fatal traffic crashes revealed a surge in Garden State drivers testing positive for alcohol, marijuana and other narcotics in recent years.
In the wake of last year’s grim record, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation in January to form a 13-member Target Zero Commission with a 2040 target for eliminating needless deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes.
“We are committed to reaching the goal of zero fatalities on New Jersey’s roads for all roadway users, including our most vulnerable roadway users: pedestrians and cyclists,” New Jersey Department of Transportation spokeswoman Leanna Spodek told The Post.
New York State had the fourth-worst rate in the country, with 1,367 fatal crashes killing pedestrians out of 4,950 overall, or 27.6%.
Wyoming, meanwhile, is the safest state, with pedestrians dying in just 41 fatal vehicles collisions out of 554 overall, or 7.4%.