Crashes in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties in 2018 reached the highest level since 2000, according to new data disclosed this month by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Bottom line: Is it safer to drive on New Jersey’s roads now than in the recent past? The statistics suggest a higher potential for fender benders but less of a likelihood for a death or injury connected to a crash.
In 2018, Burlington had 12,238 crashes (up 3.5% from 2017), Camden had 15,755 (up 4%) and Gloucester had 7,713 (up 3%).
In each of those 70and73 area counties, the number of crashes in 2018 was the highest since 2000, when the state’s report begins.
For New Jersey as a whole, the 278,413 crashes in 2018, up 2% from 2017 and the highest since 283,389 in 2004, according to the state data.
While crashes reached that high in our regional counties in 2018, injuries and fatalities did not follow the same trend. However, fatal crashes and those with injuries in Camden County were up year-over-year from 2017:
In Burlington County, the number of fatal crashes was 40, down 13% from 2017 and far from the high of 55 in 2004. In Camden, fatal crashes totaled 42, up 5% from 2017 but down from the high of 46 in 2011. Gloucester totaled 33, down 23% from 2017 and off from the high of 44 in 2007.
- In New Jersey as a whole, fatal crashes stood at 524 in 2018, down 11% from 2017. The largest number was 708 in 2006.
- Crashes with injuries in 2018 totaled: 2,830 in Burlington County, down 5% and below the high of 3,372 in 2004; 4,088 in Camden County, up 2% and below the high of 4,752 in 2002 and 1,815 in Gloucester County, down 4% and below the high of 2,156 in 2004.
- In New Jersey, crashes with injuries totaled 61,043 in 2018, down 2% and far from the high of 77,858 in 2002.
Statewide, the number of fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 0.68 last year, down from 0.76 in 2017 and well below the high since 2000 of 1.00 in 2002. The injury rate was 0.79 per million vehicle miles, down slightly from 0.80 in 2017 and below the high of 1.13 in 2001.
What were the most dangerous roads where we generally commute? North Jersey roads led the list for crash rates, with a high rate of 15.95 for Route 59 in Union County. Other North Jersey roads with double-digit crash rates in 2018 were Routes 439, 63, 67, 82 and 7.
In terms of crash rates, the top 10 highest in 2018 for roadways that touched either Burlington, Camden or Gloucester Counties were (rates and totals are for the full length of each road):
10. (tie)
Route 70 with a crash rate of 3.82 (based on average daily traffic and length of road). The numbers: 2,130 crashes, 8 fatal and 616 with injuries. Route 9, which touches in Burlington County, rate of 3.82 with 4,405 crashes, 14 fatal and 1,165 with injuries. (For those who like to compare Route 70 with Route 73, the latter had a crash rate of 2.96 with 1,193 crashes, 5 fatal and 344 with injuries.)
9.
Route 130, crash rate of 3.83 and 3,013 crashes, 14 fatal and 802 with injuries.
8.
Route 30 (White Horse Pike), crash rate of 3.96 and 2,013 crashes, 11 fatal and 728 with injuries.
7.
Route 47 (Delsea Drive), crash rate of 4.15 and 1,227 crashes, 5 fatal and 382 with injuries.
6.
Route 38, crash rate of 4.21 and 1,171 crashes, 3 fatal and 320 with injuries.
5.
Route 154 (Brace Road in Camden County), crash rate of 4.92 and 51 crashes, none fatal and 15 with injuries.
4.
Route 143 (old White Horse Pike in Camden County), crash rate of 5.03 with 5 crashes and none fatal or with injuries. This is a relatively short 2.35 mile stretch of road.
3.
Route 41 (Kings Highway/Marne Highway), crash rate of 6.63 with 365 crashes, none fatal and 105 with injuries.
2.
Route 168 (Black Horse Pike), crash rate of 6.74 with 602 crashes, 1 fatal and 162 with injuries.
1.
Route 76 (Camden County), crash rate of 7.33 with 622 crashes, none fatal and 137 with injuries. Route 76’s rate was the 15th-highest statewide.
