Berkeley Heights, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Berkeley Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Berkeley Heights and Union County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Union County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Union County compares with New Jersey
Union County against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Union County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Union County | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 78.1 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.1 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 31% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 13% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.5% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 23% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.7% | 26.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.9% | 13.7% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.7% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.9% | 19.9% | 24.8% | same |
Union County sits below New Jersey on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr.
What stands out in Berkeley Heights: I-78 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Berkeley Heights: 8 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 5,456 crashes involving commercial trucks in Union County since 2015: 2,850 people were injured and 55 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Berkeley Heights had 110 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Union County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 7.5%.
November through March accounts for 41.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in New Jersey.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (New Jersey: 3.3%).
Where crashes happen
I-78 leads within 10 miles of Berkeley Heights with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-124 (3), US-1 (3) and I-287 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 169 crashes, 3.1% of the total, against 3.6% across New Jersey.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in September (11% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.3 deaths compared with 1.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Berkeley Heights fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-78, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: September is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Union County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Union County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-78 | 8 |
| SR-124 | 3 |
| US-1 | 3 |
| I-287 | 2 |
| SR-24 | 2 |
| US-22 | 2 |
| 444 Gsp | 1 |
| CR-501 New Durham Rd | 1 |
| CR-510 S Orange Ave | 1 |
| CR-527 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Union County) |
|---|---|
| I-95, N.J. Turnpike | 1,041 |
| US-1 | 473 |
| I-78 | 426 |
| I-95 | 249 |
| US-22 | 228 |
| Division St | 135 |
| I-95 Secondary | 126 |
| Nj 27 | 92 |
Berkeley Heights at a glance
| Population | 14,510 |
| Land area | 6.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,333 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07922) | $202,944 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07922) | $778,749 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Union 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 | 227 | — | 4.8 |
| 2000s | 530 | +134% | 4.8 |
| 2010s | 424 | -20% | 3.3 |
| 2020s | 470 | +11% | 4.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 227 to 470. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.8 a year in 2016–19, 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Berkeley Heights
How many truck crashes happen in Berkeley Heights?
5,456 truck crashes have been reported in Union County since 2015, with 55 deaths and 2,850 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Berkeley Heights?
I-78 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Berkeley Heights since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Berkeley Heights?
The worst month is October: 9.3% of truck crashes in Union County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Berkeley Heights?
Since 2015, Union County has reported 169 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Berkeley Heights compare with New Jersey?
Per 100,000 residents, Union County has 78.1 truck crashes a year; New Jersey has 56.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Berkeley Heights?
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.