Cities in New Jersey With the Most and Least Safe Drivers

New Jersey is America’s most densely populated state, yet its percent of traffic-related fatalities is less than the national average. According the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), New Jersey cited six traffic fatalities per 100,000 people in 2014, whereas most states reported about 10 deaths per 100,000 people. While New Jersey’s numbers as a whole are impressive, we found 10 counties where deadly traffic accidents accounted for only about four deaths per 100,000.

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To create our list of New Jersey’s safest cities for drivers, Obrella analyzed the NHTSA’s State Traffic Safety Information for Year 2014 report. We then used the data analysis from the top 10 counties and applied it to the largest city or metropolitan area in that county.

The 10 Cities in New Jersey with the Most Safe Drivers

1. Parsippany-Troy Hills Township
   Located just outside of New York City, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township is one of New Jersey’s safest places for drivers. It’s the largest city in Morris County, which experienced 14 traffic-related fatalities in 2014, down from 25 in 2010. Alcohol-impaired driving was a factor in more than a quarter of the deadly crashes.
2. Jersey City
   Jersey City is the seat of government in Hudson County and its largest city. More than half of Hudson County’s roadway-related fatalities were single-vehicle crashes, and pedestrians accounted for seven of the county’s 24 total fatalities.
3. Edison
   Known for its good schools and high household incomes, Edison is Middlesex County’s largest city. The county also happens to be the state’s third safest when it comes to traffic-related fatalities. About half of the county’s fatal accidents involved just one vehicle, and one-third took place at or near an intersection.
4. Hackensack
   Hackensack is the most populated community in New Jersey’s most populated county. Despite its large population, Bergen County reported only 39 vehicle-related fatalities in 2014, and pedestrians accounted for 24 of these deaths.
5. Paterson
   Home to nearly one-third of Passaic County residents, Paterson is the county’s most populous place. According to the NHTSA, speed was a factor in seven of the county’s 24 traffic-related deaths.
6. Raritan Township
   Raritan Township is home to the greatest number of Hunterdon County residents. Two of Hunterdon County’s six traffic-associated fatalities resulted from accidents that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
7. Vernon Township
   Vernon Township is Sussex County’s largest city — in both population and area. Sussex County reported only seven roadway-related deaths in 2014, down from 11 in 2010. Of these, two were motorcyclists and two were pedestrians.
8. Newark
   You might not expect the most populated city in the state to have some of the safest drivers, but Newark, the largest city in Essex County, beats the odds. Alcohol-impaired driving contributed to more than one-third of Essex County’s 40 vehicle-related fatalities.
9. Elizabeth
   Union County is one of the most densely populated counties in the nation. Elizabeth is its biggest city, followed by Union and Plainfield. Pedestrians accounted for 13 of the county’s 30 roadway fatalities.
10. Phillipsburg
    Phillipsburg is the most populous city in Warren County. A total of six vehicle-associated deaths occurred in Warren County in 2014. It’s the only county on our list to report no motorcyclist, pedestrian, or bicyclist fatalities.

Which Counties in New Jersey Have the Least Safe Drivers?
New Jersey’s five most dangerous counties reported an average of 16 traffic-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2014 — which is approximately 60 percent more than the state’s safest counties. However, at five percent, the rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among the most dangerous counties was much lower than the state and national average of about 30 percent. Plus, none of the least safe counties reported a bicyclist fatality, and speed was not a significant contributing factor in any of the counties’ roadway-related deaths.

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