Elizabeth, NJ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elizabeth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
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 1.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Elizabeth compares with New Jersey
Elizabeth against New Jersey and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Elizabeth stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Elizabeth | New Jersey | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 136.4 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 2.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.0 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 38% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 19% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 50% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 43% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.5% | 26.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.3% | 19.9% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Elizabeth has lower values than New Jersey for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above New Jersey on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
What stands out in Elizabeth: I-95 deadliest road: 25 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Elizabeth since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 2,264 crashes involving commercial trucks in Elizabeth since 2015: 1,057 people were injured and 21 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 6.6%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.3% of truck crashes, against 40.9% across New Jersey.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (8.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.9% of truck crashes, compared with 3.3% in New Jersey.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Elizabeth is I-95, with 25 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by US-1 (16), I-78 (11) and Broadway (8).
Garbage & waste trucks
42 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.9% share (New Jersey: 3.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in September (14% of them).
They recorded 2.6 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Elizabeth 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 September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Elizabeth
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 25 |
| US-1 | 16 |
| I-78 | 11 |
| Broadway | 8 |
| I-280 | 7 |
| 3rd Ave | 6 |
| SR-27 | 6 |
| SR-440 | 6 |
| SR-3 | 5 |
| Flushing Ave | 4 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Elizabeth) |
|---|---|
| I-95, N.J. Turnpike | 765 |
| I-95 | 197 |
| US-1 | 195 |
| Division St | 135 |
| I-95 Secondary | 85 |
| Nj 439 | 74 |
| Union County 624 | 59 |
| Nj 81 | 39 |
Elizabeth at a glance
| Population | 140,413 |
| Land area | 12.3 sq mi |
| Density | 11,398 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 07201) | $60,080 |
| Median home value (ZIP 07201) | $473,075 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Elizabeth 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 | 53 | — | 4.8 |
| 2000s | 197 | +271% | 4.8 |
| 2010s | 166 | -16% | 3.3 |
| 2020s | 198 | +19% | 4.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 53 a year in the 1990s and 198 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 3.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elizabeth
How many truck crashes happen in Elizabeth?
Since 2015, 2,264 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Elizabeth (1,057 injured, 21 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Elizabeth?
I-95 had 25 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Elizabeth since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Elizabeth?
Truck crashes in Elizabeth peak in October, with 9.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Elizabeth?
42 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Elizabeth since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Elizabeth compare with New Jersey?
Per 100,000 residents, Elizabeth has 136.4 truck crashes a year; New Jersey has 56.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Elizabeth?
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.