More people have been killed in crashes this year on New Jersey roads than were in all of 2016, State Police reported.

As of Thursday, 629 people have died in crashes, 30 more than died last year, according to State Police statistics. And safety experts are concerned about what amounts to a 5 percent increase, and a 16 percent jump since 2013.

It also represents the deadliest year on New Jersey roads since 724 people were killed in 2007.

"We've not had New Year's Eve, where we're likely to see more crashes and impaired driving," said Cathleen Lewis, a AAA Northeast spokeswoman. "They're just too high and there is no reason for it with all of the tools we have and all the things we know."

After dropping to a 20-year low in 2013, when 542 people died, fatalities have been steadily climbing. In 2015, 562 died in crashes, six more than the previous year. But 607 people, or 45 more, died in 2016.

In 2015, a state highway safety plan set a goal of reducing traffic deaths by 2.5 percent between then and 2018. The numbers looked promising after the state finished the summer with less traffic deaths than summer 2016, but a surge in the fall pushed the numbers higher.

Of the people killed in crashes so far in 2017, 429 were either a driver or passenger in a car, 184 were pedestrians and 16 people were killed riding a bicycle.

"There are a number of factors for the increase in fatalities, including improved economic conditions, lower gas prices, more cars on the road, distracted drivers and pedestrians, and an expected increase in miles travelled," said Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

Lewis singled out distracted driving and a rise in impaired driving as reasons for the increase.

"If your mind isn't on the road, you're a dangerous driver. People mistakenly believe if the technology is in the vehicle, it's safer, and that's not true," she said, citing a AAA study that found 23 of 30 in-dash infotainment systems were distracting. "In the last decade, we banned handheld cell phones (while driving), but we haven't solved cognitive distraction."

New Jersey saw a 27 percent increase in the number of people killed in alcohol related crashes in 2016, as reported by National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in October. Only Alaska, Iowa and Vermont had a bigger percentage increase.

"It is a surprise and we need to do a deeper dive in to those numbers," Lewis said. "Nationwide, we've more fatalities and crashes with alcohol in the mix and drugs."

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

