New Jersey head-on collisions: deaths, fault and who pays
Head-on crashes are rare in New Jersey but the deadliest way two vehicles meet: 1.5 percent of police-reported crashes in 2023 and 2024, yet 8.5 percent of road deaths.
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How deadly are head-on collisions in New Jersey?
More than any other collision code: head-on crashes hurt 6,523 people in 2023 and 2024, and their fatal rate is the highest in the table below.
See the full table
| Collision type (police code) | All crashes | Share killed or hurt | People killed | Fatal crashes per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposite Direction (Head On, Angular) | 7,831 | 46.8% | 110 | 11.9 |
| Left Turn/U Turn | 13,595 | 38.6% | 67 | 4.6 |
| Right Angle | 75,258 | 33.7% | 147 | 1.8 |
| Opposite Direction (Side Swipe) | 5,761 | 17.9% | 5 | 0.7 |
| Same Direction (Rear End) | 139,205 | 24.9% | 86 | 0.6 |
Rear-end crashes outnumber head-on crashes about 18 to 1 but killed fewer people. The 2025 preliminary count holds the pattern: 3,823 head-on crashes and 59 deaths.
When a head-on crash kills someone, the family can bring wrongful death and survivorship claims. Both are explained in our New Jersey wrongful death claim guide.
Which New Jersey road has the most fatal head-on crashes?
Route 70, with 4 fatal head-on crashes in 2023 and 2024. Numbered routes held 79 of the 93 fatal crashes, and 42 happened outside daylight.
- Next roads: Routes 1, 23 and 31 and one county route, with 3 fatal head-on crashes each.
- Hours: 25 of the 93 fatal crashes happened between 8 pm and midnight.
- Pavement: 72 were on dry roads and 21 on wet ones.
Corridor counts sit on our Route 70 crash data page and Route 31 crash records.
Is it a head-on crash if the cars hit at an angle?
Usually yes in the police code: New Jersey's crash report puts head-on and angled opposite-direction impacts in one category.
The NJTR-1 manual also explains that a same-direction crash can end front to front after a car spins. An oncoming car turning across you is coded Left Turn/U Turn instead, and glancing contact is an opposite-direction sideswipe.
So describe both paths before impact, not the damaged ends. Turning and crossing crashes are covered on our T-bone and sideswipe claims page.
For other crash types see rear-end crashes in New Jersey and the statewide guide to what to do after a crash.2
Who is at fault in a head-on collision in NJ?
No label decides it: New Jersey splits fault by percentage, and the insurer assigns each driver a share case by case. The rule itself is on our page on how NJ splits fault by percentage.
A spin after an earlier impact can put a car in your lane without its driver being the main cause. A defendant 60 percent or more responsible can be made to pay all the damages; below 60 percent, only its share.
That 60 percent line matters when a third car pushed someone across the center line. When both drivers say the other crossed it, see what evidence helps prove fault; wrong-way and impaired drivers are covered in drunk driving accident claims.3
What have New Jersey courts decided after head-on crashes?
Our appeals file holds four rulings on head-on or oncoming-lane crashes, and only one is an ordinary injury claim between drivers.
| Case | What happened | Result on appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Berkoski v. Honda Motor Co. (2025, Camden) | Fatal head-on crash after a lane departure; claim against the vehicle maker | Affirmed |
| State v. Zadroga (2022, Hudson) | Criminal case after a fatal head-on crash | Affirmed, as modified |
| State v. Liepe (2018) | A rear-end impact sent a car into an oncoming vehicle; one death | Convictions affirmed, sent back for resentencing |
| Diero v. Kim (2025, Mercer) | A left turn started a three-car crash that pushed a car into oncoming traffic | The 60-day certification was missed; dismissal with prejudice affirmed |
The lesson an injured driver can act on is Diero v. Kim: the 60-day certification was missed, and the dismissal with prejudice was affirmed. More rulings of this kind are in our verbal threshold appeals rulings.
Who pays your bills after a head-on crash?
Your own PIP pays your medical bills whoever crossed the line; the at-fault driver's insurer covers what PIP does not.
If the driver who came into your lane had no or too little insurance, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage applies, which the Basic Policy leaves out. See our uninsured motorist claim help.5
The full split is on our page on who pays after a crash in NJ; limits are in PIP limits for medical bills.
What should you do in the days after a head-on crash?
Lock down how each car approached before the scene changes, then keep the proof of your injuries.
- Tell the clinician where you sat, every symptom and any second impact, and keep the records listed in medical records for an injury claim.
- Order the report through the New Jersey crash report guide and check the collision code and lane diagram.
- Keep full-length dashcam or doorbell video showing the lanes before impact, not just the hit.
- Check your filing deadline on our NJ car accident statute of limitations page.
Questions people ask
Should I give a recorded statement to the other insurance company?
You may, but no New Jersey law sets what you must tell the other driver's insurer, and statements feed the fault share it assigns. Ask who will hear it and what it covers first; see what to expect from an insurance adjuster.
Can I refuse a recorded statement to an insurance company?
Refusing your own insurer can breach your policy duties. With the other driver's insurer there is no set list, but DOBI warns that not cooperating fully could lead to a denial.
What happens if the other driver is at fault?
Your PIP still pays your medical bills first. Their liability insurer covers what PIP does not, such as pain and suffering if your lawsuit option allows it and your car damage.
Wondering whether to get a lawyer when the other car crossed into your lane? You do not need the fault answer to start. The 30-second questionnaire asks about the crash, your treatment and the report.
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Sources
- NJDOT crash records 2023 and 2024, NJDOT Crash Data Portal, njdot.aashtowaresafety.net, as normalized by the open-source nj-crashes project; our count by collision type, route, light and surface condition.
- NJDOT, NJTR-1 Crash Report Manual (2023), collision type codes.
- DOBI, Auto Comparative Negligence Settlement FAQs; N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1 and 2A:15-5.3, via Justia 2025 edition (archived).
- Berkoski v. Honda Motor Co., A-2887-22 (App. Div. 2025), courtlistener.com; State v. Zadroga, A-4432-19 (App. Div. 2022), courtlistener.com; State v. Liepe, A-4431-14 (App. Div. 2018), courtlistener.com; Diero v. Kim, A-0393-23 (App. Div. 2025), justia.com.
- DOBI, New Jersey Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide 2026, pp. 2, 3, 5 to 11.
How we counted
- Crash numbers: our count of NJDOT police records (file downloaded 6 November 2026, counted 11 November 2026) by the officer's collision-type code "Opposite Direction (Head On, Angular)", complete years 2023 and 2024; 2025 is preliminary. Fatal crashes checked against the NJ State Police feed.
- Fatal crashes per 1,000 divides crashes with at least one death by all crashes of that type. Counts are not risk rates and say nothing about fault or claim value.
- Court rulings: head-on and oncoming-lane cases from our file of New Jersey car crash opinions, 2018 to 2025.
- General information, not legal advice. Call 911 in an emergency.