Fatal vehicle accidents claimed the lives of 542 people in New Jersey in the last year, according to new data released by the New Jersey State Police.

Where were the most fatalities in the Garden State? Use the map above to explore a county-by-county breakdown of the state’s fatal traffic accidents. Hover over or click on each county to reveal additional details about that county’s crash statistics.

While there remains more than one fatal accident a day on average in New Jersey, the new figures show a general downward trend in traffic fatalities that spans two decades, the data show.

Distracted and inattentive driving remains the most common contributing factor in fatal crashes, authorities said, and will likely be the focus of a forthcoming safety push by the state police.

However, drug and alcohol use among drivers remained one of the chief factors in fatal crashes in the Garden State in 2013. According to the state police, drug or alcohol were factors in 143 of the deaths in New Jersey last year, or about 26 percent.

The table below shows the contributing factors in fatal New Jersey traffic accidents over the last five years.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Vinessa Erminio contributed to this report.