New Jersey Unveils Ambitious Statewide Plan to Eliminate Traffic Deaths by 2040

New Jersey officials have released a comprehensive statewide action plan aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roadways by 2040, as traffic deaths across the state continue to rise.

The New Jersey Target Zero Action Plan, prepared by the newly established Target Zero Commission, outlines a data-driven, multi-agency strategy focused on redesigning roads, managing vehicle speeds, improving driver behavior, enhancing vehicle safety, and strengthening post-crash emergency care.

The plan follows the passage of the Target Zero Commission Law, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in January 2025, which formally created the commission and charged it with reviewing all aspects of traffic safety with a focus on equity, access, and mobility for all road users

According to New Jersey State Police data cited in the report, traffic deaths increased 14 percent from 2023 to 2024, while pedestrian fatalities rose 32 percent during the same period. Between 2021 and 2024, more than 600 people per year were killed in traffic crashes statewide, with pedestrians and bicyclists accounting for roughly one-third of all fatalities.

The plan rejects the idea that traffic deaths are inevitable, instead adopting the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe System Approach, which assumes that human error is unavoidable and focuses on designing transportation systems that prevent mistakes from resulting in death or serious injury

The commission’s strategy is organized around several core areas:

• Safer Roads: Redesigning intersections and corridors to reduce conflict points, improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, expand street lighting, and prioritize safety improvements along high-injury road networks.

• Safer Speeds: Managing vehicle speeds through traffic-calming measures, context-appropriate speed limits, and roadway designs that encourage slower driving.

• Safer People: Expanding driver education, strengthening enforcement of traffic laws, and increasing public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing distracted driving, impaired driving, and speeding.

• Safer Vehicles: Encouraging the use of vehicles equipped with advanced safety features and improving enforcement against unsafe or non-compliant vehicles.

• Post-Crash Care: Improving emergency response times, expanding EMS training and resources, and strengthening coordination among first responders to increase survivability after crashes.

The plan also includes priorities for safer land-use planning, promoting walkable communities and reducing reliance on high-speed vehicle travel, as well as coordinated implementation, including improved data collection, stable funding, and technical assistance for local governments.

A central element of the plan is the development of a High Injury Network, identifying the roadways with the highest rates of fatal and serious-injury crashes. The commission plans to use this data to prioritize safety investments, particularly in overburdened communities where traffic injuries disproportionately affect residents who rely on walking, biking, or public transit.

The Target Zero Commission is composed of representatives from 13 state and regional agencies, including the Department of Transportation, State Police, Department of Health, NJ TRANSIT, and the state’s metropolitan planning organizations. The commission is required to meet regularly, hold public hearings, and issue annual progress reports to the governor and Legislature.

Under the plan, progress toward the 2040 goal will be tracked through measurable benchmarks and reported publicly. Officials say transparency and accountability will be critical to maintaining momentum and public trust as the state works toward eliminating traffic deaths.

Commission leaders emphasized that achieving zero fatalities will require sustained cooperation across state, county, and municipal governments, as well as changes in how New Jersey residents think about roadway safety.

The plan’s authors described the goal as ambitious but necessary, stating that eliminating traffic deaths is the only acceptable outcome for a transportation system that values every life