Rio Grande, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rio Grande: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rio Grande and Cape May County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cape May County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
14.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Cape May County compares with New Jersey
Cape May County against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cape May County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cape May County | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.2 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 38% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 2.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 7.7% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 2.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 42% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 26.0% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.3% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 40% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 34.4% | 40.9% | 41.9% | 16% below the state |
| After dark | 11.0% | 19.9% | 24.8% | 45% below the state |
Compared with New Jersey, Cape May County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above New Jersey on deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Cape May County: 1 in 13 crashes involve a garbage truck (31 since 2015), vs 3.6% across New Jersey.
Overview
Cape May County has recorded 379 truck crashes since 2015, with 215 people injured and 12 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 11 days.
Rio Grande had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cape May County numbers.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 12.4% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 34.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.9% for New Jersey.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.1% of truck crashes.
1.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rio Grande since 2015 were spread across roads: Dune Drive (1), Highs Beach Rd (1), SR-147 (1) and SR-47 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 31 of the truck crashes here, or 8.2%, compared with 3.6% in New Jersey.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in June (19%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 14.3 deaths compared with 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Rio Grande fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at June schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cape May County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Dune Drive | 1 |
| Highs Beach Rd | 1 |
| SR-147 | 1 |
| SR-47 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cape May County) |
|---|---|
| US-9 | 58 |
| Garden State Parkway | 42 |
| Nj 47 | 37 |
| Nj 47 (Delsea Drive) | 12 |
| SR-550 | 9 |
| Cape May County 657 | 9 |
| Cape May County 623 | 9 |
| Cape May County 619 | 8 |
Rio Grande at a glance
| Land area | 2.7 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 08242) | $93,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 08242) | $326,888 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cape May County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 46 | +191% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 38 | -18% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 30 | -22% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 16 to 30. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rio Grande
How many truck accidents are there in Rio Grande?
379 truck crashes have been reported in Cape May County since 2015, with 12 deaths and 215 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Rio Grande?
June has the most truck crashes in Cape May County, 12.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Rio Grande?
31 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cape May County since 2015, 8.2% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rio Grande compared with New Jersey?
The yearly rate is 35.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cape May County, vs 56.6 for New Jersey.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Rio Grande?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.