Had a car accident on Route 1 in NJ? 4,601 people were hurt in two years, and Old Post Road in Edison tops the list
Route 1 had 3,253 police-reported accidents with someone hurt or killed in 2023 and 2024, about 4.5 a day, and 50 people died. Old Post Road in Edison is the top cross street, with 59 injury accidents in 2024 and 2025.1
Hurt in a Route 1 crash, from Trenton to Fort Lee? Answer a few short questions, about 30 seconds, to see if a lawyer's office may review your claim for free.
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How many accidents does Route 1 have each year?
About 6,300 to 6,600 police-reported accidents a year, and about 1,600 of them are injury accidents, where someone was hurt or killed.
See the full table
| Year | Injury accidents | People killed | People hurt | All accidents | Pedestrian accidents | Bicycle accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,612 | 27 | 2,262 | 6,346 | 44 | 18 |
| 2024 | 1,641 | 23 | 2,339 | 6,574 | 46 | 23 |
| 2025 (preliminary) | 1,552 | 10 | 2,193 | 6,383 | 49 | 18 |
That makes Route 1 the deadliest of the 29 state, US and interstate routes we profile: 50 people killed in 2023 and 2024, against 40 on the Garden State Parkway accident records.
Which towns on Route 1 have the most injury accidents?
Edison Township leads with 512 in 2023 and 2024, then Woodbridge Township with 328 and South Brunswick with 271. Middlesex County holds 44 percent of the road's injury accidents: see the Middlesex County accident hub.
Route 1 carries 39 percent of West Windsor's injury accidents and about a third in Lawrence, South Brunswick and North Brunswick. In Newark, by contrast, it is 4 percent.
See the full table
| Town (county) | Injury accidents | People killed | Percent of the town's injury accidents on Route 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison Township (Middlesex) | 512 | 6 | 25.9% |
| Woodbridge Township (Middlesex) | 328 | 3 | 13.4% |
| South Brunswick Township (Middlesex) | 271 | 6 | 32.7% |
| Linden (Union) | 241 | 4 | 22.1% |
| Jersey City (Hudson) | 238 | 2 | 9.3% |
| Elizabeth (Union) | 236 | 8 | 10.3% |
| North Brunswick Township (Middlesex) | 228 | 1 | 30.8% |
| North Bergen Township (Hudson) | 218 | 2 | 27.2% |
| Newark (Essex) | 207 | 7 | 3.9% |
| West Windsor Township (Mercer) | 181 | 2 | 38.6% |
All 20 Route 1 towns, south to north, and the six counties
| Town (county) | Median milepost | Injury accidents | People killed | Percent of the town's injury accidents on Route 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton (Mercer) | 1.1 | 58 | 0 | 4.9% |
| Lawrence Township (Mercer) | 5.6 | 126 | 3 | 33.8% |
| West Windsor Township (Mercer) | 10.8 | 181 | 2 | 38.6% |
| Plainsboro Township (Middlesex) | 12.2 | 29 | 2 | 25.7% |
| South Brunswick Township (Middlesex) | 17.5 | 271 | 6 | 32.7% |
| North Brunswick Township (Middlesex) | 22.7 | 228 | 1 | 30.8% |
| New Brunswick (Middlesex) | 27.2 | 77 | 1 | 6.9% |
| Edison Township (Middlesex) | 30.9 | 512 | 6 | 25.9% |
| Woodbridge Township (Middlesex) | 35.4 | 328 | 3 | 13.4% |
| Rahway (Union) | 39.3 | 42 | 1 | 9.2% |
| Linden (Union) | 41.1 | 241 | 4 | 22.1% |
| Elizabeth (Union) | 44.7 | 236 | 8 | 10.3% |
| Newark (Essex) | 48.3 | 207 | 7 | 3.9% |
| Jersey City (Hudson) | 54.6 | 238 | 2 | 9.3% |
| North Bergen Township (Hudson) | 58.3 | 218 | 2 | 27.2% |
| Fairview (Bergen) | 61.0 | 30 | 0 | 20.4% |
| Ridgefield (Bergen) | 61.9 | 61 | 1 | 16.6% |
| Palisades Park (Bergen) | 63.0 | 24 | 0 | 8.2% |
| Fort Lee (Bergen) | 64.4 | 56 | 1 | 6.9% |
| Kearny (Hudson), truck route | numbered separately | 90 | 0 | 11.6% |
| County | All accidents | Injury accidents | Route 1 share of the county's injury accidents | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 5,431 | 1,445 | 11.0% | 19 |
| Hudson | 2,431 | 546 | 8.7% | 4 |
| Union | 1,950 | 519 | 5.6% | 13 |
| Mercer | 1,582 | 365 | 7.7% | 5 |
| Essex | 700 | 207 | 1.9% | 7 |
| Bergen | 826 | 171 | 1.6% | 2 |
The road starts in Trenton crash data and ends past Fort Lee in the Bergen County accident hub. Between them, Jersey City and North Bergen sit in the Hudson County accident hub.
The records file the shared Route 1&9 stretch through Elizabeth, Newark and Jersey City as Route 1, so it is counted here. In 2023 and 2024, 352 records name the Pulaski Skyway, 100 with someone hurt, and the truck route (Lincoln Highway and the Blakeslee route) adds 516, 133 with someone hurt and 2 people killed.
Elizabeth, Linden and Rahway sit in the Union County accident hub. After a Skyway crash: what to do after a Pulaski Skyway accident. South of Woodbridge, Route 9 has its own Route 9 accident data.
Which Route 1 cross streets have the most injury accidents?
Old Post Road in Edison leads with 59 in 2024 and 2025, ahead of Ford Avenue in Woodbridge with 43. Edison has four of the top eight cross streets.
See the full table
| Cross street | Town (county) | Injury accidents | All accidents | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Post Road | Edison (Middlesex) | 59 | 235 | 0 |
| Ford Avenue (Middlesex County 648) | Woodbridge (Middlesex) | 43 | 174 | 0 |
| Prince Street | Edison (Middlesex) | 37 | 115 | 0 |
| New Road | South Brunswick (Middlesex) | 30 | 108 | 1 |
| Harrison Street (Mercer County 629) | West Windsor (Mercer) | 29 | 86 | 0 |
| Plainfield Avenue (Rt 529) | Edison (Middlesex) | 27 | 88 | 2 |
| Hackensack Avenue | Kearny (Hudson) | 26 | 109 | 0 |
| Grandview Avenue (Middlesex County 660) | Edison (Middlesex) | 26 | 81 | 0 |
| South Stiles Street (Union County 615) | Linden (Union) | 25 | 79 | 0 |
| Park Avenue (Union County 616) | Linden (Union) | 24 | 84 | 0 |
| Duncan Avenue | Jersey City (Hudson) | 24 | 68 | 0 |
Five more cross streets, 22 injury accidents each
| Cross street | Town (county) | All accidents | Injury accidents | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Road | North Brunswick (Middlesex) | 84 | 22 | 0 |
| Fairmount Avenue | Elizabeth (Union) | 81 | 22 | 1 |
| Blackhorse Lane | South Brunswick (Middlesex) | 76 | 22 | 0 |
| Franklin Corner Road (Rt 546) | Lawrence (Mercer) | 64 | 22 | 0 |
| Pierson Avenue | Edison (Middlesex) | 58 | 22 | 0 |
Ridge Road in South Brunswick is the deadliest cross street on the list: 21 injury accidents, 3 people killed. How these compare with every junction in the state: New Jersey intersections with the most injury accidents.
In New Brunswick, Route 1 is itself a top cross street on Route 18 accident records. Hit in Edison? The Route 1 Edison location checklist shows how to pin down the spot.
What kinds of accidents happen on Route 1, and when?
Mostly rear end collisions: 56 percent of Route 1 injury accidents, against 31 percent statewide.
See the full table
| Collision type | Route 1 count | Route 1 share | Statewide share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same direction, rear end | 1,825 | 56.1% | 30.7% |
| Same direction, side swipe | 526 | 16.2% | 8.5% |
| Right angle | 311 | 9.6% | 22.4% |
| Fixed object | 295 | 9.1% | 11.6% |
| Pedestrian | 81 | 2.5% | 6.6% |
| Left turn or U turn | 50 | 1.5% | 4.6% |
Rear-ended on Route 1? What to do next and how fault is decided: rear end crashes in New Jersey.
Route 1 also runs late. From 9 pm to 3 am it had 19.5 percent of its injury accidents, against 13.0 percent statewide. The busiest hour was Friday 5 pm to 6 pm, with 42.
December had the most (330) and February the fewest (210). The statewide pattern: when New Jersey crashes happen, hour by hour.
Why do Route 1 deaths follow a different pattern from injuries?
Deaths cluster in the dark: 36 of the 50 people killed in 2023 and 2024 died in accidents after dark. Statewide it is about half (642 of 1,294).
Rear end collisions were 56 percent of injury accidents but killed 2 people. Right angle collisions killed 13, and pedestrian accidents 14.
See the full table
| Town (county) | People killed | Fatal accidents |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth (Union) | 9 | 6 |
| Edison Township (Middlesex) | 7 | 7 |
| Newark (Essex) | 7 | 4 |
| South Brunswick Township (Middlesex) | 7 | 5 |
| North Bergen Township (Hudson) | 5 | 4 |
| Linden (Union) | 4 | 3 |
| Jersey City (Hudson) | 3 | 3 |
| Lawrence Township (Mercer) | 3 | 3 |
| Woodbridge Township (Middlesex) | 3 | 3 |
Police recorded 90 pedestrian accidents in 2023 and 2024, under 1 percent of records, yet 16 pedestrians died, a third of the road's deaths.
Over half of those 90 were on the Route 1&9 stretch: Elizabeth crash data counts 24, Linden crash data 13 and North Bergen 11. Edison lost the most pedestrians, 4.
Does PIP cover you as a pedestrian? Our guide to pedestrian accidents in New Jersey explains whose policy pays.
How do I look up a Route 1 accident report in NJ?
Ask the police department of the town where it happened. Only 144 of the 19,303 Route 1 records for 2023 to 2025 name a State Police station, and 87 of those are in Trenton.
| Agency | Route 1 injury accidents, 2023 and 2024 | How to ask | Fee stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison Police | 512 | In person, Records Bureau at police headquarters | $0.05 a letter page, $0.07 a legal page |
| Woodbridge Police | 328 | In person, Records Bureau | $0.50 a page |
| South Brunswick Police | 271 | Online service on the police reports page | Not stated |
| Elizabeth Police | 236 | Online at crashdocs.org | Free |
| Trenton Police | 58 | Service window, or by mail | $0.50 a page for pages 1 to 10; $5 flat by mail |
| NJ State Police | 144 records name a station | Online, NJSP crash report portal | $13.00 |
Every other agency, and the SR-1 form for when police did not come: how to get your New Jersey accident report, agency by agency.
Route 1 accident questions
Was there an accident on Route 1 in NJ today?
This page cannot tell you: its newest records are from 2025, and that year is still preliminary. For today's incidents and closures, NJDOT points drivers to 511NJ.
How long does it take to get an accident report in NJ?
On Route 1 it depends on the agency. Edison states 7 to 10 business days, Elizabeth 3 to 5 business days after approval, and a State Police report can take 14 business days.
Are accident reports public record in NJ?
The basic crash report is, the State Police portal says; serious and fatal investigation reports are not. Who can get which copy: the New Jersey accident report guide.
What happened in car crashes on Route 1 in Woodbridge, NJ?
Ford Avenue is the second-worst Route 1 cross street, with 43 injury accidents in 2024 and 2025. Every Woodbridge road, street by street: Woodbridge crash data.8
What these numbers can and cannot tell you
The counts on this page are police-reported car accidents from NJDOT crash records, analyzed by us. They show where and when accidents where someone was hurt happened on Route 1. They do not show who was at fault in any accident, and they say nothing about whether you have a claim or what it could be worth.
Rules that apply anywhere in New Jersey
- Your own policy's PIP pays eligible medical bills "no matter who caused the auto accident," up to your limit. A pain and suffering claim against the other driver depends on fault and your lawsuit option: how PIP limits and medical bills work9.
- An injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years, and a claim against a public body needs written notice within 90 days: New Jersey accident claim deadlines10.
Next steps: how to get your New Jersey accident report, agency by agency, and how New Jersey no-fault (PIP) insurance works after an accident. This is general information, not legal advice.
Hurt in a car accident on Route 1? Take the 30-second New Jersey quiz to see if a lawyer's office may review your claim for free.
Start the New Jersey accident quiz
Advertisement. Opens the New Jersey questionnaire. Review its policies and contact consent before submitting your details. No legal advice or guarantee of acceptance or compensation.
Sources
- NJDOT crash records 2023 to 2025 via the open-source hudcostreets/nj-crashes project, with NJ State Police fatal crash statistics; our analysis.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, NJSP fatal supplement; our count.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, NJSP fatal supplement; our count by town, county and recorded road name.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, 2024 and 2025; our count by recorded cross street.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, 2023 and 2024; our count by collision type and hour.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, NJSP fatal supplement; our count of deaths by collision type, light and town.
- Agency report pages: Edison Police, Woodbridge Police, South Brunswick Police, Elizabeth Police, Trenton Police, NJSP crash reports portal; our count of records naming a State Police station.
- Waits from the Edison, Elizabeth and NJSP pages above; NJSP crash reports portal on public records; 511NJ from NJDOT's Route 18 project page.
- NJ DOBI Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide 2026, pp. 2, 6
- N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; N.J.S.A. 59:8-8
How we counted
NJDOT crash records 2023 to 2025, normalized by nj-crashes, plus NJ State Police fatal statistics. Route 1 includes Route 1&9, the truck route and named segments; county roads numbered 1 are excluded.
Totals use 2023 and 2024. 2025 is preliminary and thin in Newark (51 percent of its 2024 count), North Bergen (70) and Jersey City (74). In all, 60 people died in 50 fatal accidents, 2023 to 2025.
Cross streets use 2024 and 2025, spelling variants unmerged; 20 percent of records name none, so counts are floors. Town share is Route 1 injury accidents over all the town's; mileposts are medians, for map order.
262 of Kearny's 346 records are on the truck route. The State Police station field is undocumented, so 144 is a floor.
Collision types show how vehicles met, not fault. These are counts, not risk rates: we have no traffic volume.