Newark, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Newark: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
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 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Newark compares with New Jersey
Newark against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Newark stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Newark | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 85.3 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 13% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.5% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 26% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.6% | 26.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.7% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 7% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.4% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.4% | 19.9% | 24.8% | same |
Newark sits below New Jersey on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Newark: I-95 most fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Newark: 28 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,079 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Newark. They injured 1,682 people and killed 46.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.6% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 43.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in New Jersey.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.5% of truck crashes.
2.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
I-95 leads within 15 miles of Newark with 28 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-1 (16), I-78 (11) and Broadway (10).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 78 of the truck crashes here, or 2.5%, compared with 3.6% in New Jersey.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (13%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.6, vs 1.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Newark fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-95 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- 28.6% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above New Jersey; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Newark
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 28 |
| US-1 | 16 |
| I-78 | 11 |
| Broadway | 10 |
| I-80 | 10 |
| I-280 | 7 |
| 3rd Ave | 6 |
| 1st Ave | 5 |
| Bruckner Blvd | 5 |
| SR-27 | 5 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Newark) |
|---|---|
| I-95, N.J. Turnpike | 745 |
| I-78 | 341 |
| US-1 | 313 |
| Nj 21 | 204 |
| I-280 | 126 |
| Doremus Ave | 64 |
| I-95 | 62 |
| Nj 27 | 48 |
Newark at a glance
| Population | 317,303 |
| Land area | 24.1 sq mi |
| Density | 13,142 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Newark 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 | 102 | — | 5.7 |
| 2000s | 319 | +211% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 282 | -12% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 239 | -15% | 5.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 102 to 239. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.0 a year in 2016–19, 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Newark
How common are truck crashes in Newark?
Newark has had 3,079 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,682 people and killing 46.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Newark?
NHTSA data shows I-95 with 28 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Newark since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Newark?
Truck crashes in Newark peak in October, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Newark?
78 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Newark since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Newark compare with New Jersey?
The yearly rate is 85.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Newark, vs 56.6 for New Jersey.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Newark?
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.