New Jersey Tops Pedestrian Fatality List
A new study analyzing official government data has identified the states where pedestrians are most at risk of being killed in car crashes, with New Jersey topping the list.
The study, conducted by personal injury law firm Injured In Florida analyzed data spanning from 2017 to 2021 from the NHTSA’s Motor Vehicle Crash Data Querying and Reporting system. It focused on pedestrian deaths as a proportion of total traffic fatalities over a five-year period, and revealed significant variations in pedestrian fatalities across different states.
New Jersey emerged as the state with the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities. Out of the 3,030 total traffic deaths recorded in the state during the study period, 916 were pedestrians. This means that 30.23% of all traffic fatalities in New Jersey involved pedestrians, the highest percentage in the nation.
Hawaii is in second place, with pedestrians accounting for 27.01% of its traffic deaths. In absolute numbers, Hawaii reported 138 pedestrian deaths out of a total of 511 traffic fatalities.
California ranks third in the study. During the period analyzed, there were 19,666 total traffic fatalities in the state, of which 5,050 were pedestrians. This means that pedestrians represented 25.68% of all traffic fatalities in California.
New York comes in fourth in the ranking. Out of 5,106 total traffic fatalities, 1,310 were pedestrians. This translates to pedestrians making up 25.66% of all traffic deaths in the state. The data reveals that pedestrian safety is a significant concern in New York, just as it is in California, albeit with a slightly lower percentage.
Nevada is ranked fifth in the study. The state reported 1,662 total traffic fatalities, with pedestrians accounting for 393 of these deaths. This means that 23.65% of all traffic fatalities in Nevada involved pedestrians.
At the other end of the spectrum, the study identified states where the percentage of pedestrian fatalities in total traffic deaths was significantly lower.
Kansas is ranked 46th in the study, as out of 2,126 total traffic deaths, only 166 were pedestrians, accounting for 7.81% of all fatalities.
Iowa is in 47th place, with a total of 1,684 traffic fatalities, with 125 involving pedestrians. This means that pedestrians comprised just 7.42% of all traffic deaths in Iowa.
Idaho ranks 48th, with pedestrians accounting for a small portion of the total traffic fatalities. Out of 1,188 traffic deaths, 79 were pedestrians, which is 6.65% of the total.
North Dakota is at 49th in the ranking, due to 34 pedestrian deaths out of a total of 522 traffic fatalities, meaning that pedestrians accounted for 6.51% of the deaths.
Wyoming is ranked 50th, marking it as the state with the lowest percentage of pedestrian fatalities in the country. Out of 618 total traffic deaths, only 40 were pedestrians, representing just 6.47% of all fatalities.
A spokesperson for Injured In Florida commented on the findings: “This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the heightened risks pedestrians face in certain states. In total there were more than 32,000 pedestrians fatally injured in car crashes between 2017 and 2021, making up around 17% of all road traffic deaths. Every life lost in a traffic accident is a tragedy, and understanding these patterns is a crucial step towards making our streets safer for everyone.”
The 10 states with the highest percentage of pedestrians killed in car crashes
| State | Rank | Pedestrians killed in crashes | Total people killed in crashes | Percentage of people killed who were pedestrians |
| New Jersey | 1 | 916 | 3,030 | 30.23% |
| Hawaii | 2 | 138 | 511 | 27.01% |
| California | 3 | 5,050 | 19,666 | 25.68% |
| New York | 4 | 1,310 | 5,106 | 25.66% |
| Nevada | 5 | 393 | 1,662 | 23.65% |
| Maryland | 6 | 635 | 2,739 | 23.18% |
| Delaware | 7 | 142 | 614 | 23.13% |
| Florida | 8 | 3,586 | 16,503 | 21.73% |
| Arizona | 9 | 1,129 | 5,221 | 21.62% |
| New Mexico | 10 | 422 | 2,076 | 20.33% |
The 10 states with the lowest percentage of pedestrians killed in car crashes
| Wisconsin | 41 | 269 | 3,001 | 8.96% |
| Maine | 42 | 70 | 783 | 8.94% |
| South Dakota | 43 | 55 | 650 | 8.46% |
| Nebraska | 44 | 97 | 1,160 | 8.36% |
| Montana | 45 | 80 | 1,003 | 7.98% |
| Kansas | 46 | 166 | 2,126 | 7.81% |
| Iowa | 47 | 125 | 1,684 | 7.42% |
| Idaho | 48 | 79 | 1,188 | 6.65% |
| North Dakota | 49 | 34 | 522 | 6.51% |
| Wyoming | 50 | 40 | 618 | 6.47% |
This is just another strike against the quality of life in New Jersey and why people are emigrating out of this state in a mass exodus. Is it any wonder why New Jersey is the No. 1 state for mass exodus of its residents????? It’s the excessive, confiscatory property taxes linked to the absurd education taxes that aren’t really helping our children, but paying the head of the NJEA over $ 2 MILLION per year, and paying huge salaries to his administrative/executive minions in the NJEA. It’s the excessive, confiscatory regulations imposed on businesses from operating profitably in N.J., especially harming small businesses. It’s the confiscatory income taxes, sales taxes and gasoline taxes being used to pay for illegal alien parasites moving to our “sanctuary state” to get free entitlements like free healthcare, free education, free housing, free legal services, free food stamps, free cash [$6000/mo.], etc., all at taxpayers’ expense. It’s the poor condition of the roads & bridges even though gasoline taxes keep going up. It’s the waste of tax monies on the fraudulent “Green Raw Deal” energy programs that are failures, e.g., Orsted Windmill farms off of the N.J. coast, and now the N.Y. coast having been stopped. It’s the increased traffic since COVID ended. It’s the increase in violent crimes, home invasions, and car thefts in N.J. And, now it’s pedestrian deaths.
New Jersey is no longer affordable or safe. It’s time to get out!!!!!!