New Jersey ranks among the most dangerous states to drive. That’s in part to its high density and if you ever drove in the Garden State, it seems like everyone is always in a rush.
New Jersey is home to the nation’s three deadliest intersections, but once you get past the intersections, more danger lurks on some roads.
Related: The three deadliest intersections in America are in New Jersey
Now, a report by MoneyGeek has assessed data public data to determine the top 10 deadliest stretches of roadway in New Jersey.
“MoneyGeek’s study on the deadliest roads in New Jersey examined 1,640 crashes that resulted in fatalities from 2017 to 2019 — the most recent data currently available,” the report said. “The accidents analyzed occurred on 834 roads out of the state’s 85,108 miles of road. We looked at how factors like drunk driving, speeding and distracted driving contributed to these crashes. Our analysis also breaks down data for every county in New Jersey, including the deadliest roads in each.”
The report found the following factors contributing to roadway fatalities in New Jersey:
- Out of the 1,640 recorded fatal crashes in New Jersey, 354 involved drunk driving. That’s approximately 22% of all accidents resulting in death in the state.
- There were 319 speeding-related fatal accidents in New Jersey between 2017 to 2019. That’s 19% of all crashes resulting in death in the state. Driving beyond the legal speed limit poses several dangers on the road.
- From 2017 to 2019, distracted driving contributed to 23% of all fatal crashes in New Jersey — slightly more than drunk driving, the second-most prevalent factor.
- MoneyGeek compared the number of fatal crashes each month and found that October had the most. A total of 172 accidents occurred during this month from 2017 to 2019; that’s 10.5% of all total fatal crashes in New Jersey.
FATAL ACCIDENTS AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS BY COUNTY: 2017–2019
| County | Fatalities | Fatal Accidents | Drunk Driving Related | Distracted Driving Related | Speeding Related | Most Deadly Road (Fatal Accidents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 98 | 91 | 28 | 22 | 30 | US-40 (14) |
| Bergen | 101 | 97 | 8 | 25 | 16 | I-95 (9) |
| Burlington | 125 | 115 | 28 | 26 | 25 | US-130 (12) |
| Camden | 136 | 127 | 24 | 32 | 25 | US-30 (19) |
| Cape May | 39 | 38 | 13 | 12 | 5 | US-9 (7) |
| Cumberland | 64 | 61 | 21 | 12 | 12 | SR-47 (8) |
| Essex | 121 | 117 | 18 | 22 | 15 | SR-21 (9) |
| Gloucester | 124 | 115 | 22 | 31 | 23 | US-322 (19) |
| Hudson | 67 | 63 | 10 | 15 | 13 | SR-440 (8) |
| Hunterdon | 17 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | SR-31 (5) |
| Mercer | 76 | 75 | 16 | 16 | 20 | I-95 (9) |
| Middlesex | 146 | 134 | 35 | 29 | 36 | I-95 (12) |
| Monmouth | 108 | 101 | 35 | 18 | 26 | SR-36 (9) |
| Morris | 86 | 76 | 9 | 15 | 11 | I-80 (21) |
| Ocean | 131 | 120 | 25 | 29 | 19 | SR-70 (15) |
| Passaic | 70 | 65 | 16 | 20 | 11 | I-80 (6) |
| Salem | 35 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 5 | US-40 (4) |
| Somerset | 57 | 56 | 9 | 15 | 5 | I-78 (11) |
| Sussex | 33 | 32 | 6 | 6 | 4 | SR-23 (4) |
| Union | 84 | 83 | 19 | 17 | 11 | SR-27 (9) |
| Warren | 28 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 6 | I-80 (9) |
Here are the 10 deadliest stretches of roadway in New Jersey
- Route 30 from Marshall Avenue to Stratford Avenue, Stratford, Clementon, Lindenwold and Berlin.
- 4.7 miles. 9 fatal crashes, with 12 deaths; 1.9 fatal crashes per mile.
- Interstate 95 from Exit 1 to Vince Lombardi Service Area, Ridgefield Park, Leonia, Teaneck, Englewood, Ridgefield, Fort Lee.
- 4.2 miles. 9 fatal crashes, 10 deaths. 2.1 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 1 from Garden Street to Exit 57, Newark, Elizabeth.
- 4.1 miles. 9 fatal crashes, 9 deaths. 2.2 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 27 from Seminary Avenue to Carolyn Terrace, Rahway, Roselle, Linden. 3.3 miles.
- 9 fatal crashes, 9 deaths. 2.7 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 38 from Marginal Road to Chestnut Street, Cherry Hill, Pennsauken.
- 3.5 miles. 9 fatal crashes, 9 deaths. 2.6 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 21 from Chester Avenue to Broad Street, Newark. 3.8 miles. 9 fatal crashes, 9 deaths.
- 2.4 fatal crashes per mile.
- Interstate 80 from Exit 28 to Exit 19, Mount Olive.
- 4.8 miles. 8 fatal crashes, 10 deaths. 1.7 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 322 from Village Parkway to Walnut Street, Gloucester County.
- 4.0 miles. 8 fatal crashes, 10 deaths. 2.0 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 42 from Leddon Lane to Exit 8, Gloucester and Camden counties.
- 4.8 miles. 8 fatal crashes, 9 deaths. 1.7 fatal crashes per mile.
- Route 440 from Bennett Street to Hook Road, Jersey City and Bayonne.
- 4.1 miles. 8 fatal crashes, 9 deaths. 1.9 fatal crashes per mile.