Black Drivers Are 8% of NJ’s Roads But 37% of Police Searches, ACLU Report Finds

Black drivers are disproportionately stopped and searched in New Jersey, according to a new report released by ACLU New Jersey.

ACLU, ACLU of New Jersey and master’s students at Brown University analyzed more than 6 million NJ State Police traffic stops in the Garden State between 2009 and 2021. It found that Black people were 18.8% of all drivers pulled over and 36.5% of searches, despite representing only 8.2% of New Jersey drivers. 

Research commissioned by the state Attorney General’s office in 2023 found that Black drivers were also 89.9% more likely to be searched than white drivers. However, they were 9.7% less likely to be found with contraband during those searches. 

ACLU New Jersey’s analysis of non-safety stops like “expired inspections, cracked or obstructed windshields and broken taillights” showed further disparities. For windshield violations specifically, Black drivers accounted for 28.1% of stops and 49.3% of searches, yet had a lower rate of searches yielding contraband than white drivers. 

“New Jersey should focus its resources on preventing accidents and saving lives, not conducting non-safety traffic stops that drive racial disparities in policing,” said the ACLU New Jersey’s report. “As such, legislators should consider policies that reduce non-safety stops – and allow police officers to address driving behaviors that endanger lives.”

To read the report, click here.