Upper Montclair, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Upper Montclair: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Upper Montclair 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 stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Upper Montclair: I-95 11 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Upper Montclair.
Overview
Since 2015, 5,012 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Essex County. They injured 2,742 people and killed 67.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Upper Montclair had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Essex County numbers.
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%).
2.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-95 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (11). After it: I-80 (10), I-280 (7) and I-78 (7).
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 Upper Montclair 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.
- 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.
- 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 Essex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 11 |
| I-80 | 10 |
| I-280 | 7 |
| I-78 | 7 |
| US-1 | 6 |
| SR-3 | 5 |
| SR-21 | 4 |
| CR-506 Bloomfield Ave | 2 |
| SR-124 | 2 |
| SR-17 | 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 |
Upper Montclair at a glance
| Land area | 2.4 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07043) | $250,001 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07043) | $973,948 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.0 a year in 2016–19 and 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Upper Montclair
How many truck crashes happen in Upper Montclair?
Since 2015, 5,012 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Essex County (2,742 injured, 67 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Upper Montclair?
NHTSA data shows I-95 with 11 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Upper Montclair since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Upper Montclair?
October has the most truck crashes in Essex County, 9.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Upper Montclair?
200 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Essex County since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Upper Montclair 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 can I plan a safer truck route in Upper Montclair?
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.