Most Dangerous Roads in New Jersey

Driving in New Jersey is fun, said no one ever. If you’ve ever driven in our state, you know it’s never easy. Even when I’m driving to work at 4 a.m., there’s always something or someone creating a dangerous situation.

Even at that early hour, people are being cut off or trucks are driving side by side on Route 1, preventing anyone from passing. And then there’s my favorite, the “left lane %$#@&*%s.”

Not surprisingly, Route 1 landed on the list of the top ten most dangerous roads in New Jersey. A new analysis of nearly 130,000 fatal crashes shows that it’s state highways, not interstates, that have the most deadly accidents.  They account for more than four out of ten of all fatal crashes across the country.

In addition to the 42% on state highways, the breakdown of where these crashes happen also includes U.S. highways, seeing 23%. That’s followed by interstates at 18%, and local streets with 17%.

Over the past five years, New Jersey has been responsible for close to three thousand crashes. 

At the top of the list of the most dangerous highways in New Jersey is I-95, aka the New Jersey Turnpike. It basically runs from the Delaware River Bridge to the George Washington Bridge.

It’s no shocker that Route 1 is second on the list of the deadliest roads in the Garden State. I’ve seen some crazy stuff happen here and am surprised it’s not number one on the list.

Making it into the top three life-threatening roads in NJ is Route 9. It’s followed by Route 130, and then I-295 in the fifth spot.

One of the suspected causes is that state highways usually have higher speed limits, plus other factors. These factors include frequent intersections, mixed traffic, and limited vehicle separation.  All of this combined creates high-risk situations.

Check out the full list and the entire study here.