Chester, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chester and Morris County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Morris County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Morris County compares with New Jersey
Morris County against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Morris County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Morris County | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.5 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 14% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.2% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.4% | 26.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.5% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.4% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.4% | 19.9% | 24.8% | same |
Morris County sits below New Jersey on garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Morris County: 5.2% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 3.3% in New Jersey.
Overview
Since 2015, 4,205 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Morris County. They injured 2,279 people and killed 62.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Chester had 51 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Morris County numbers.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.1%).
November through March accounts for 42.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in New Jersey.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.6%).
5.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-80 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). It is followed by US-206 (4), I-287 (2) and US-46 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
128 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (New Jersey: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is October, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 3.4 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Chester fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in October; review collection routes for that month.
- With 5.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above New Jersey), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Morris County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 5 |
| US-206 | 4 |
| I-287 | 2 |
| US-46 | 2 |
| CR-510 | 1 |
| CR-517 | 1 |
| CR-615 Howard Blvd | 1 |
| CR-625 Bartley Rd | 1 |
| North Bergen St | 1 |
| SR-57 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Morris County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 965 |
| I-287 | 731 |
| US-46 | 166 |
| Nj 10 | 128 |
| Nj 24 | 125 |
| I-80 Secondary | 121 |
| Nj 15 | 117 |
| US-206 | 111 |
Chester at a glance
| Population | 1,695 |
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,064 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07930) | $240,954 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07930) | $774,230 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Morris 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 | 181 | — | 4.2 |
| 2000s | 425 | +135% | 3.4 |
| 2010s | 372 | -12% | 3.5 |
| 2020s | 318 | -14% | 2.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 181 a year in the 1990s and 318 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 4.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chester
How common are truck crashes in Chester?
Morris County has had 4,205 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,279 people and killing 62.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Chester?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Chester: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Chester?
Truck crashes in Morris County peak in August, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chester?
Garbage trucks were involved in 128 reported crashes in Morris County since 2015 (3.0% of truck crashes).
How does Chester compare with New Jersey for truck crashes?
Morris County records 67.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.6 across New Jersey.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Chester?
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.