The New Jersey Senate passed legislation establishing the “New Jersey Target Zero Commission” to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040.
The commission would study and review all aspects of roadway safety to create an action plan.
Traffic violence in New Jersey and across the nation has surged.
In 2022, New Jersey traffic deaths reached 706, a 15-year high. In 2021, both pedestrian and cyclist deaths hit 30-year highs, at 220 and 26, respectively.
Nationwide, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by 46% between 2010 and 2019, while 2021 saw the highest number of traffic deaths in 16 years at 42,939.
The measure was sponsored by New Jersey Sens. Patrick Diegnan, D-Middlesex, and Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, the Senate Transportation Committee vice chair.