Watchung, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Watchung: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Watchung and Somerset County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Somerset County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Somerset County compares with New Jersey
Somerset County against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Somerset County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Somerset County | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 69.9 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 13% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.5% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.7% | 26.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.9% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.9% | 19.9% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with New Jersey, Somerset County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Watchung at a glance: I-78 6 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Watchung.
Overview
Somerset County has recorded 2,953 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,454 people injured and 39 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Watchung had 94 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Somerset County numbers.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 10.4% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in New Jersey.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.9%).
Road surface: 4.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (New Jersey: 3.3%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-78 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). Next come I-95 (5), I-287 (4) and US-1 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
95 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.2% share (New Jersey: 3.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (14% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Watchung fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-78; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 4.5% of truck crashes here, more than New Jersey; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Somerset County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-78 | 6 |
| I-95 | 5 |
| I-287 | 4 |
| US-1 | 4 |
| SR-28 | 3 |
| SR-24 | 2 |
| SR-440 | 2 |
| 444 Gsp | 1 |
| CR-501 New Durham Rd | 1 |
| CR-510 S Orange Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Somerset County) |
|---|---|
| I-287 | 627 |
| I-78 | 409 |
| US-22 | 211 |
| US-202 | 156 |
| US-206 | 141 |
| SR-527 | 112 |
| I-287 Secondary | 93 |
| I-78 Secondary | 74 |
Watchung at a glance
| Population | 6,606 |
| Land area | 6.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,098 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07069) | $171,705 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07069) | $884,005 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Somerset 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 | 127 | — | 3.5 |
| 2000s | 282 | +122% | 3.0 |
| 2010s | 242 | -14% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 242 | +0% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 127 a year in the 1990s and 242 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Watchung
How many truck accidents are there in Watchung?
Since 2015, 2,953 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Somerset County (1,454 injured, 39 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Watchung?
NHTSA data shows I-78 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Watchung since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Watchung?
Truck crashes in Somerset County peak in October, with 10.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Watchung?
Since 2015, Somerset County has reported 95 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.2% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Watchung compare with New Jersey?
The yearly rate is 69.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Somerset County, vs 56.6 for New Jersey.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Watchung?
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.