Short Hills, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Short Hills: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Short Hills 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 sits below New Jersey on 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 Short Hills: I-78 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Short Hills: 11 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 5,012 crashes involving commercial trucks in Essex County since 2015: 2,742 people were injured and 67 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Short Hills since 2015, this page uses Essex County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.2%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.5% of truck crashes, vs 40.9% for New Jersey.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (8.2%).
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-78 leads within 10 miles of Short Hills with 11 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-95 (8), I-280 (6) and US-1 (6).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 200 crashes, 4.0% of the total, against 3.6% across New Jersey.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in October (12% of them).
They recorded 2.6 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Short Hills fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-78, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 28.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above New Jersey; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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-78 | 11 |
| I-95 | 8 |
| I-280 | 6 |
| US-1 | 6 |
| I-80 | 4 |
| SR-21 | 4 |
| SR-124 | 3 |
| SR-27 | 3 |
| CR-506 Bloomfield Ave | 2 |
| SR-24 | 2 |
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 |
Short Hills at a glance
| Land area | 5.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07078) | $250,001 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07078) | $1,722,409 |
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. NHTSA counts 4.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Short Hills
How common are truck crashes in Short Hills?
Since 2015, 5,012 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Essex County (2,742 injured, 67 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Short Hills?
NHTSA data shows I-78 with 11 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Short Hills since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Short Hills?
October has the most truck crashes in Essex County, 9.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Short Hills?
200 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Essex County since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Short Hills compared with New Jersey?
Essex County records 49.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.6 across New Jersey.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Short Hills?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.