In this analysis, AdvisorSmith used data published by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find the most dangerous roads in New Jersey. With most of the United States being dependent upon motor vehicles for transportation, New Jersey is no exception. Traffic safety is an important consideration when people travel on roads and highways, and also plays a role in consumer and business costs such as auto insurance rates.
AdvisorSmith studied 53 interstate highways, U.S. highways, and state roads in the state of New Jersey to find the most dangerous roads in the state. Our analysis found that there were 11.5 fatalities per 100 miles of road per year in New Jersey for the roads included in our study. The range of fatalities per 100 miles was as low as 3.8, and as high as 72.6.
Read on to discover the most dangerous roads in New Jersey.
Most Dangerous Roads in New Jersey
1. SR-129
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 72.6
State Road 129, Trenton
This 2.4-mile road links South Trenton with the I-295 and I-195 interchange.
2. I-676
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 42.1
Interstate 676, Camden
This 4.8-mile road passes through the heart of Camden, connecting it to Philadelphia.
3. SR-42
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 38.5
State Road 42, Bellmawr
This road connects I-76 to the Atlantic City Expressway.
4. SR-20
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 30.1
State Road 20, Paterson
This road winds through the eastern edge of Paterson, along the Passaic River.
5. SR-21
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 24.4
State Road 21, Passaic, Newark, EWR
A continuation of State Road 20 to the south, State Road 21 runs along the Passaic River, through downtown Newark, and onward to Newark Airport.
6. SR-440
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 24.4
State Road 440, Jersey City, Bayonne
This road runs along the west edge of Jersey City, the east side of Bayonne, and connects with Staten Island, New York.
7. I-280
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 23.8
Interstate 280, Newark, Harrison, Parsippany
This interstate highway crosses New Jersey east to west, connecting I-80 with I-95.
8. US-30
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 21.9
U.S. Highway 30, Atlantic City
This road cuts southeast across the state, connecting the Camden area to the Atlantic City area.
9. SR-4
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 21.2
State Road 4, Hackensack
This road connects Paramus with the George Washington Bridge, passing over the Hackensack River.
10. I-80
Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles: 21.2
Interstate 80, Northern New Jersey
Crossing the state east to west, I-80 connects with I-95 in the east, leading to the George Washington Bridge. On the west, I-80 continues into Pennsylvania.
| Rank | Road | Fatalities (2016-2019) | Miles | Annual Fatalities per 100 Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SR-129 | 7 | 2.4 | 72.6 |
| 2 | I-676 | 8 | 4.8 | 42.1 |
| 3 | SR-42 | 22 | 14.3 | 38.5 |
| 4 | SR-20 | 5 | 4.2 | 30.1 |
| 5 | SR-21 | 14 | 14.4 | 24.4 |
| 6 | SR-440 | 13 | 13.3 | 24.4 |
| 7 | I-280 | 17 | 17.9 | 23.8 |
| 8 | US-30 | 51 | 58.3 | 21.9 |
| 9 | SR-4 | 9 | 10.6 | 21.2 |
| 10 | I-80 | 58 | 68.5 | 21.2 |
| 11 | SR-3 | 9 | 10.8 | 20.8 |
| 12 | SR-27 | 31 | 38.5 | 20.1 |
| 13 | US-1 | 54 | 68.8 | 19.6 |
| 14 | I-95 | 68 | 89.2 | 19.1 |
| 15 | SR-56 | 7 | 9.2 | 19.0 |
| 16 | SR-55 | 30 | 40.5 | 18.5 |
| 17 | SR-38 | 14 | 19.2 | 18.2 |
| 18 | SR-444 | 102 | 172.4 | 14.8 |
| 19 | SR-70 | 35 | 59.8 | 14.6 |
| 20 | SR-36 | 14 | 24.4 | 14.3 |
| 21 | SR-168 | 6 | 10.8 | 14.0 |
| 22 | SR-73 | 19 | 34.6 | 13.7 |
| 23 | US-322 | 35 | 64.3 | 13.6 |
| 24 | I-78 | 36 | 67.8 | 13.3 |
| 25 | SR-37 | 7 | 13.4 | 13.0 |
| 26 | SR-88 | 5 | 10.0 | 12.5 |
| 27 | US-130 | 35 | 83.5 | 10.5 |
| 28 | SR-72 | 12 | 28.7 | 10.4 |
| 29 | SR-71 | 7 | 16.8 | 10.4 |
| 30 | I-295 | 31 | 76.6 | 10.1 |
| 31 | US-40 | 26 | 64.3 | 10.1 |
| 32 | SR-33 | 19 | 48.9 | 9.7 |
| 33 | SR-18 | 16 | 42.9 | 9.3 |
| 34 | SR-47 | 28 | 75.2 | 9.3 |
| 35 | SR-49 | 20 | 53.8 | 9.3 |
| 36 | SR-446 | 17 | 46.2 | 9.2 |
| 37 | SR-124 | 5 | 14.7 | 8.5 |
| 38 | US-46 | 24 | 75.3 | 8.0 |
| 39 | US-9 | 57 | 181.9 | 7.8 |
| 40 | SR-15 | 6 | 19.5 | 7.7 |
| 41 | US-22 | 18 | 60.5 | 7.4 |
| 42 | I-287 | 20 | 67.5 | 7.4 |
| 43 | SR-23 | 15 | 52.6 | 7.1 |
| 44 | SR-45 | 8 | 28.5 | 7.0 |
| 45 | SR-77 | 6 | 22.6 | 6.7 |
| 46 | I-195 | 8 | 34.2 | 5.9 |
| 47 | SR-35 | 13 | 58.1 | 5.6 |
| 48 | US-206 | 27 | 131.4 | 5.1 |
| 49 | SR-29 | 7 | 34.7 | 5.0 |
| 50 | SR-28 | 5 | 26.4 | 4.7 |
| 51 | SR-31 | 9 | 48.9 | 4.6 |
| 52 | US-202 | 13 | 80.3 | 4.0 |
| 53 | SR-94 | 7 | 45.9 | 3.8 |
Methodology
AdvisorSmith used data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System on fatal vehicle crashes in the United States from 2016-2019. To determine the most dangerous roads in New Jersey, we used the “Accident” data set from the published data, which counts the number of fatalities in each fatal crash. The data also provides the road on which the fatal crash occurred.
We examined data for interstate highways, national highways, and state roads in the state of New Jersey. For each of these roads, we added the total number of fatalities from 2016-2019. We then excluded all roads with fewer than 6 fatalities during the study period. Next, we included the length of each of the roads in the study dataset. For each road, we calculated the number of fatalities on a per-mile basis. We then ranked the roads based upon the number of motor vehicle fatalities per mile in the state of New Jersey.
Sources
- United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System