New Jersey Drunk Driving Statistics

Car Accidents • December 21, 2023

In 2021, 15,650 people were killed in alcohol-related collisions in the United States – the highest number of such deaths since 2006. This staggering number represented 36 percent of all U.S. traffic fatalities. During that same year, 220 people died in drunk driving accidents in New Jersey, accounting for 31 percent of all traffic deaths.

While New Jersey has a lower overall incidence of drunk driving deaths than the national average, one drunk driving death is too many. Drinking and driving is still a pervasive issue in New Jersey, especially during the holidays. At Brady, Reilly, & Cardoso, LLC, we believe that awareness can help effect change on important safety issues. With that in mind, we examined the last several years of fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to get a full understanding of the issue in New Jersey.

Below are our findings and New Jersey drunk driving statistics:

Significant Increases in alcohol-related Fatal Collisions

Following the national trend, alcohol-related traffic fatalities in New Jersey increased in 2020 and spiked to ten-year highs in 2021.

This occurred despite the significant decrease in vehicle miles traveled in 2020. Experts have opined that drivers across the country began engaging in riskier driving behaviors during the pandemic and after. This, along with the largest increase in alcohol consumption in over 50 years has likely powered the spike in drunk driving crashes.

New Jersey Traffic Deaths by Highest Blood Alcohol Content Test Result: 1994 – 2021

Below, view the totals for New Jersy Traffic fatalities by year and blood alcohol content.

Year	BAC = .00	BAC = .01-.07	BAC = .08+	BAC=.01+
1994	518	33	209	241
1995	542	51	180	231
1996	579	51	183	234
1997	538	52	183	235
1998	512	52	176	229
1999	492	40	193	233
2000	454	48	228	276
2001	497	46	203	249
2002	538	38	194	231
2003	499	39	195	235
2004	488	50	185	235
2005	500	44	203	247
2006	490	62	218	280
2007	468	55	201	256
2008	397	40	152	192
2009	400	37	146	183
2010	360	35	160	195
2011	399	33	194	226
2012	378	46	164	210
2013	356	39	148	187
2014	358	37	161	198
2015	427	28	107	135
2016	426	41	134	175
2017	467	36	121	157
2018	399	35	127	163
2019	388	41	129	169
2020	399	34	153	187
2021	479	42	178	220

How Does New Jersy Compare to Other States?

As previously mentioned, alcohol-related crashes make up 31 percent of all fatal crashes in New Jersey. This is significantly lower than the national average of 36 percent and tied for the ninth-lowest total of any state in the nation. New Jersey is tied with Florida, Oklahoma, and Minnesota and behind just Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Utah, West Virginia, Delaware, Indiana, and Kansas.

When Are Drivers at the Highest Risk?

According to the Office of the Attorney General, alcohol impairment among drivers is nearly four times higher at night than during the day and nearly 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes on weekends are alcohol-impaired. By that measure, late night and early morning on weekends is the most dangerous time for motorists. The data in New Jersey bears this out. While the day-of-week data did not include BAC status, more fatal collisions occurred during the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday time frame than any other three-hour period. In fact, the three deadliest time periods were in the evening or late night on Friday and Saturday.

Time of Crash	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Midnight to 2:59 a.m.	20	7	11	5	10	6	15
3 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.	14	11	8	5	7	3	16
6 a.m. to 8:59 a.m.	12	8	5	13	9	7	5
9 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.	6	7	8	8	8	10	7
Noon to 2:59 p.m.	16	8	17	16	9	10	19
3 p.m. to 5:59 p.m.	15	7	12	20	13	16	11
6 p.m. to 8:59 p.m.	16	12	13	14	15	15	25
9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.	14	14	11	15	19	23	23

The NHTSA did, however, provide BAC data for the time of the crash. The saying goes that nothing good happens after midnight, and it appears to be true. In 2021, half of all fatal crashes from midnight to 3 a.m. involved alcohol on at least one of the drivers involved – the highest share of any time period.

Time Period	Total Crashes	Alcohol-Related Crashes	Percent Alcohol-Related
Midnight to 2:59 a.m.	74	37	50
3 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.	64	27	42
6 a.m. to 8:59 a.m.	59	9	15
9 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.	54	5	9
Noon to 2:59 p.m.	95	7	7
3 p.m. to 5:59 p.m.	94	17	18
6 p.m. to 8:59 p.m.	110	27	24
9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.	119	38	32

Takeaways and Safety Tips

As always, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol is always dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. If you plan to consume alcohol, make sure to designate a safe way to get home. Whether that is designating a driver, calling a cab or rideshare service, walking, or using public transportation, you should never drive.

However, the issue is so pervasive that even drivers who do not consume alcohol should be vigilant. Consider avoiding using the roads between midnight and 3 a.m. If you must drive at night, drive defensively, avoid distraction and significantly increase your following distance behind other vehicles. If a driver around you is acting erratically, safely move to the side or pull over to a safe location.

Lia Abrams

Highly Recommend Matthew R. Romo, Jr., Esq. I had a truly outstanding experience working with Matthew R. Romo, Jr. He was professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly responsive throughout the entire process. What impressed me most was his ability to explain complex legal matters in a way that was easy to understand, making me feel confident and informed every step of the way. Matthew genuinely cared about my case and always made time to answer my questions, no matter how small. His attention to detail and commitment to achieving the best possible outcome truly set him apart. If you’re looking for a trustworthy, compassionate, and skilled attorney, I highly recommend Matthew R. Romo, Jr. He made a stressful situation much more manageable, and I’m grateful for his support.

michele conti

If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being injured in a car accident, look no further! Forget all those big billboard lawyers and call this firm immediately. Diane Cordoso handled 2 cases for me... I had the bad luck of being hit more than once in a short period of time.... Diane, Maria, her assistant, and the entire team are compassionate, professional, and are perfect examples of what you need in these situations. They communicate every step of the way and are always on the ball. I sincerely hope to never have to use their services again lol... I've had enough careless drivers hit and injure me thanks... BUT God forbid I'm ever in that horrible situation again, I know who to call. If your attorney isn't getting the job done, call this firm! TODAY!

Megi Verzivolli

Great service provided from day 1. I would recommend to all friends and family.

hey hi, it's Keidaï

Really appreciated the thoughtful, proactive, kind, efficient, and respectful interaction during a time of tragedy and shock that I had never experienced before. I called and asked some questions about how they do business, after researching a bit online on what to ask a personal injury lawyer and find a good fit – I strongly advise anyone to do the same and not make a rushed decision. I highly recommend working with the team. I'm very glad I went them in the end – thank you for your help and for standing up for me when I wasn't able to. PS Diane is awesome (:

Ilzo Silva

“Gostaria de expressar minha imensa satisfação com o trabalho realizado pela advogada Diane Cardoso, do escritório Brady Reilly & Cardoso. Desde o início, fui tratado com profissionalismo, respeito e empatia. Diane demonstrou um conhecimento profundo da área jurídica e uma dedicação excepcional ao meu caso, garantindo que tudo fosse conduzido de forma clara e eficiente. Graças ao esforço dela, obtive um resultado muito positivo, e cada etapa do processo foi explicada detalhadamente, o que me trouxe muita tranquilidade. Recomendo Diane e o escritório Brady Reilly & Cardoso a qualquer pessoa que busque uma equipe competente, confiável e comprometida. Muito obrigado por tudo!

Thee best law firm in all of NJ. Mrs. Cardoso and her team surpassed our expectations. She was always available and posses great knowledge in law. Diane was kind to my mother and my child’s needs and defend our case to the fullest. I would recommend her to everyone. If you want a lawyer who is intelligent, caring and takes the cases to heart, then this is your go to person.

Peter Iorio

Highly recommended! The process was long due to my case beginning when COVID started but rest assure this law firm was with me the whole time. The communication was great. Not one time was I ever disappointed in the process. The outcome exceeded my expectations. Kathleen and her team are amazing. I know I was annoying at times and very restless about my case but they handled it well and when it was all said and done, they got me more than I expected! They work very hard to get you the most compensation you deserve! Again, highly recommended!!! Thanks team.

lauren macksoud

Diane Cardoso was amazing to work with. She held our hand during a stressful time for our family and provided not only comfort, but expert guidance to navigate the process. We are so grateful to have worked with Diane towards a successful settlement for our daughter. I cannot recommend her highly enough to anyone in need of legal assistance for a personal injury claim. Thank you Diane!

Jacqueline Armijos

Diane Cardoso is such a great lawyer! I am very happy with the results of my case. She is a trustful lawyer. Her law firm kept me informed of all the important details. I will definitely recommend her.