Manchester, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Manchester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Manchester and Ocean County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ocean County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Ocean County compares with New Jersey
Ocean County against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ocean County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ocean County | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.2 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 52% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.67 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 44% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.1% | 26.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.6% | 13.7% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.4% | 40.9% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 13.0% | 19.9% | 24.8% | 35% below the state |
Ocean County has lower values than New Jersey for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar). Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Ocean County: 1 in 15 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 6.5%, vs 3.6% in New Jersey.
Overview
Police reported 2,142 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ocean County since 2015: 1,416 people were injured and 52 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
With 145 truck crashes reported in Manchester since 2015, this page uses Ocean County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.3%).
November through March accounts for 37.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in New Jersey.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (8.7%).
1.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Manchester is SR-70, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by CR-539 (2), CR-539 Pinehurst Rd (2) and Gsp-444 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 140 crashes, 6.5% of the total, against 3.6% across New Jersey.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (11%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.8, vs 2.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Manchester fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ocean County.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-70; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Ocean County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-70 | 5 |
| CR-539 | 2 |
| CR-539 Pinehurst Rd | 2 |
| Gsp-444 | 2 |
| 444-Garden State Parkway | 1 |
| CR-527 Lakehurst Rd | 1 |
| CR-539 Whiting Rd | 1 |
| CR-547 | 1 |
| CR-571 | 1 |
| CR-571 Ridgeway Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ocean County) |
|---|---|
| US-9 | 233 |
| Garden State Parkway | 188 |
| Nj 70 | 131 |
| SR-528 | 79 |
| Nj 72 | 65 |
| Nj 37 | 64 |
| SR-571 | 63 |
| SR-539 | 60 |
Manchester at a glance
| Population | 46,252 |
| Land area | 81.4 sq mi |
| Density | 568 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 08759) | $52,178 |
| Median home value (ZIP 08759) | $189,560 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ocean 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 | 46 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 223 | +386% | 3.6 |
| 2010s | 184 | -17% | 3.2 |
| 2020s | 180 | -2% | 3.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 46 to 180. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.5 a year in 2016–19, 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Manchester
How common are truck crashes in Manchester?
2,142 truck crashes have been reported in Ocean County since 2015, with 52 deaths and 1,416 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Manchester?
NHTSA data shows SR-70 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Manchester since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Manchester?
Truck crashes in Ocean County peak in July, with 10.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Manchester?
Since 2015, Ocean County has reported 140 garbage-truck crashes, or 6.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Manchester compared with New Jersey?
The yearly rate is 27.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ocean County, vs 56.6 for New Jersey.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Manchester?
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.