The number of people killed in car crashes in New Jersey is on pace to top last year, according to New Jersey State Police.

Whether the state is open or dealing with COVID-19 restrictions, the numbers are up, and some are blaming the pandemic.

“People got out of the daily habit of practicing driving. Just like golf or any other sport you love to hate,” says Steve Bereczki, of New Brunswick.

The roads were mostly empty during the pandemic, but that still did not cut down on the number of deaths.

“During that time of COVID in 2020, less people were out on the roads, giving more people the opportunity to drive recklessly or at higher rates of speed at that time,” says South Brunswick Police Lt. Dennis Yuhasz.

Yuhasz also says that police enforcement was down during the pandemic to protect officers from the virus.

“And that also could’ve played a factor in it as well,” he says.

State police stats show that the number of people who have died in crashes is up 10% so far in 2021. There was even an increase in the pandemic – 558 people died in 2019 while 586 people died in 2020. Pedestrian deaths also increased by almost 10%.

Those who drove routinely during the pandemic are noticing the summer boom in traffic.

“Having a year of people not able to go outside, you have them all just rush out,” one driver tells News 12 New Jersey.

Summer is typically the deadliest time period of driving.