
Hi William,
New Jersey ranks 4th in the nation for distracted driving in Zutobi’s newly released 2026 Distracted Driving Report — and recorded the largest single-year increase in distracted driving deaths of any state in the country.
In 2024, 221 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver in New Jersey — up 28.5% from 172 in 2023. 42% of all crashes in New Jersey involved a distracted driver, one of the highest shares in the nation.
What makes this particularly striking is the policy context. New Jersey has banned handheld cellphone use while driving since 2003 — one of the first states in the country to do so — and treats it as a primary offense, meaning police can pull drivers over for phone use alone. Despite over two decades of legislation and fines of up to $800 for repeat offenders, distracted driving deaths rose by nearly a third in a single year.
Continue reading “Letter to the Editor: NJ 4th in the nation for distracted driving and deaths”







