Essex Fells, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Essex Fells: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Essex Fells and Essex County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Essex County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.6 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Essex County compares with New Jersey
Essex County against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Essex County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Essex County | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.5 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 13% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 19% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.0% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.9% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 13% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.3% | 26.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 8% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.5% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.9% | 19.9% | 24.8% | same |
Essex County has lower values than New Jersey for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above New Jersey on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Essex Fells: I-80 deadliest road: 8 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Essex Fells since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 5,012 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Essex County. They injured 2,742 people and killed 67.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 10 truck crashes reported in Essex Fells since 2015, this page uses Essex County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.8% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.5% of truck crashes, against 40.9% across New Jersey.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.9% of truck crashes, compared with 3.3% in New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 10 miles of Essex Fells with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-280 (7), I-78 (7) and SR-21 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
200 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.0% share (New Jersey: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is October, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.6, vs 1.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Essex Fells fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 28.3% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than New Jersey.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Essex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 8 |
| I-280 | 7 |
| I-78 | 7 |
| SR-21 | 4 |
| SR-124 | 3 |
| SR-3 | 3 |
| CR-506 Bloomfield Ave | 2 |
| SR-23 | 2 |
| SR-24 | 2 |
| Albion Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Essex County) |
|---|---|
| I-95, N.J. Turnpike | 745 |
| I-280 | 380 |
| I-78 | 357 |
| US-1 | 313 |
| Nj 21 | 270 |
| SR-506 | 95 |
| I-80 | 79 |
| Doremus Ave | 64 |
Essex Fells at a glance
| Population | 2,220 |
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,577 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07021) | $250,001 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07021) | $1,078,377 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Essex 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 | 226 | — | 5.7 |
| 2000s | 558 | +146% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 448 | -20% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 397 | -11% | 5.2 |
In the 1990s about 226 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 397. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.0 a year in 2016–19, 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Essex Fells
How many truck accidents are there in Essex Fells?
Since 2015, 5,012 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Essex County (2,742 injured, 67 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Essex Fells?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Essex Fells: 8.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Essex Fells?
Truck crashes in Essex County peak in October, with 9.8% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Essex Fells?
Garbage trucks were involved in 200 reported crashes in Essex County since 2015 (4.0% of truck crashes).
How does Essex Fells compare with New Jersey for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 49.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Essex County, vs 56.6 for New Jersey.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Essex Fells?
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.