Ocean County saw more traffic deaths than any other county in New Jersey last year, even as the state made significant progress on road safety and hit important benchmarks, according to early numbers from New Jersey State Police.
The county recorded 62 fatalities across 53 crashes—the highest total statewide. Meanwhile, New Jersey as a whole saw traffic deaths drop from 684 in 2024 to 575 in 2025. That’s a 15% decrease following a particularly deadly year that marked a three-decade high.
The state’s total came in just under its Highway Safety Plan target, which set a goal of keeping fatalities at or below 577 deaths.
Ocean County also had the second-highest number of pedestrian deaths at 17, behind only Essex County’s 25. State Police have noted that these figures are still preliminary and may be adjusted.
After Ocean County, Middlesex County reported the next highest total with 48 deaths in 48 crashes, followed by Essex County with 42 deaths in 42 crashes. On the other end of the spectrum, Hunterdon County had the fewest fatalities—just six deaths in six crashes.
Pedestrian deaths dropped substantially across the state, falling from 230 in 2024 (which represented a 30% jump from the year before) down to 173 in 2025. Cyclist fatalities also declined slightly, from 18 to 17.
New Jersey’s progress actually exceeded national projections. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had estimated only a 10% drop in fatalities between 2024 and 2025. Across the country, deaths were expected to decline even though Americans drove roughly 25 billion more miles, based on federal data.
The improvements came as the state rolled out its Target Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities entirely.