Pedestrian Violations In Fatal NJ Crashes Up: NJ State Police

NEW JERSEY - Not all motor vehicle crashes are entirely the fault of the driver, according to a report released by New Jersey State Police.

Per the agency’s 2020 Fatal Crash Report, pedestrian violations contributed to 135 motor vehicle crashes in the Garden State in 2020, up from 130 in 2019. Since 2016, at least 120 pedestrian violations have been recorded each year in connection with crashes in the state.

There was a total of 171 pedestrian crashes in New Jersey in 2020, the highest number reported since 2017 (179 crashes). 171 pedestrian fatalities and five injuries were reported in 2020, compared to 181 deaths and 35 injuries in 2017.

The violations in question ranged from crossing not at an intersection (tied to 86 fatal crashes in 2020) to crossing at an unmarked crosswalk (tied to 10 fatal crashes in 2020).

Other violations include being inattentive to motorists, darting across traffic and walking on the wrong side of the road. In the Garden State, pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections.

55 pedestrian crashes were also linked to intoxicated pedestrians at the time of the crash, the report said. In fact, a third of all pedestrians involved in motor vehicle crashes tested positive for alcohol. 67 pedestrians involved in crashes tested positive for drugs only.

Initial state police statistics for 2021 note that pedestrians accounted for about 218, or about a third, of all road deaths in the state.