Upper, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Upper: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Upper 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 stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in 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.
With 69 truck crashes reported in Upper since 2015, this page uses Cape May County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 34.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.9% for New Jersey.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out 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 Upper since 2015 were spread across roads: Bethel Rd (1), CR-623 Roosevelt Blvd (1), Gsp-444 Garden State Parkway (1), SR-47 (1) and US-9 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 31 crashes, 8.2% of the total, against 3.6% across New Jersey.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in June (19%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 14.3, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Upper fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cape May County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
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) |
|---|---|
| Bethel Rd | 1 |
| CR-623 Roosevelt Blvd | 1 |
| Gsp-444 Garden State Parkway | 1 |
| SR-47 | 1 |
| US-9 | 1 |
| West Inlet Rd | 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 |
Upper at a glance
| Population | 12,406 |
| Land area | 62.0 sq mi |
| Density | 200 per sq mi |
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 |
In the 1990s about 16 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 30. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Upper
How many truck accidents are there in Upper?
379 truck crashes have been reported in Cape May County since 2015, with 12 deaths and 215 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Upper?
Truck crashes in Cape May County peak in June, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Upper?
31 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cape May County since 2015, 8.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Upper compare 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 can I plan a safer truck route in Upper?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.