Route 46 NJ accident: who has the police report and where people get hurt
Route 46 had 1,327 police-reported accidents with someone hurt or killed in 2023 and 2024, across 36 towns in five counties. They hurt 1,833 people and killed 14. Your report almost always comes from the town police, not the State Police.1
Hurt on Route 46, anywhere from Warren County to Ridgefield Park? 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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Is Route 46 dangerous?
In Morris County it is: one in nine injury crashes on any county road is on Route 46. In Bergen it is one in forty.
See the full table
| County | All Route 46 accidents | Hurt or killed | People killed | Share of the county's hurt or killed accidents on all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris | 2,376 | 578 | 7 | 11.5% (of 5,033) |
| Passaic | 1,868 | 421 | 3 | 5.3% (of 7,917) |
| Bergen | 1,110 | 272 | 3 | 2.5% (of 10,933) |
| Warren | 254 | 48 | 1 | 4.8% (of 1,010) |
| Essex (Fairfield only) | 50 | 8 | 0 | 0.1% (of 10,928) |
Half the 14 people killed were on foot, and rear-end crashes make up 51 percent of injury crashes, against 31 percent statewide. Every other road in those counties is on our Morris County car accident guide and Bergen County car accident guide.
How many crashes happen on Route 46 each year?
About 2,700 to 3,200 police-reported accidents a year, and 592 to 735 of them hurt or killed someone.
See the full table
| Year | All accidents | Hurt or killed | People hurt | People killed | Pedestrian crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,720 | 592 | 831 | 4 | 14 |
| 2024 | 2,938 | 735 | 1,002 | 10 | 34 |
| 2025 (preliminary) | 3,181 | 709 | 1,027 | 5 | 19 |
Injury crashes rose from 592 in 2023 to 735 in 2024, and deaths from 4 to 10.
When do Route 46 injury crashes happen?
Mostly on weekday late afternoons: 350 of the 1,327 came between 3 pm and 6 pm, and the busiest hour began at 5 pm, with 128.
Weekdays averaged about 203 injury crashes each over the two years, against 158 on Saturdays and 153 on Sundays. The same Morris County commute runs on the interstate too: see I-80 accident data for New Jersey.
Who has the police report for a Route 46 accident?
The police department of the town where it happened, except in White, Knowlton and Liberty townships, where most records name a State Police station.
See the full table
| Town, county | State Police station named | Records naming that station | All Route 46 records in the town |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Twp, Warren | Washington | 106 | 134 |
| Knowlton Twp, Warren | Hope | 73 | 86 |
| Liberty Twp, Warren | Washington | 18 | 24 |
| Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris | Totowa (5), Netcong (1) | 6 | 649 |
| Ridgefield Park Village, Bergen | Totowa | 4 | 270 |
| All other towns combined | Various | 14 | 7,676 |
Only 221 of 8,839 Route 46 records name a State Police station. Hackettstown and Independence are also in Warren County, yet almost none of theirs do, so ask the town police there, as in Clifton, Wayne or Parsippany.
If someone is hurt or damage to any one person is over $500, the driver must report it to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days unless an officer files one. No officer came? Drivers then use the SR-1 self-reporting form.
How much does a Route 46 crash report cost, and how long does it take?
A State Police report costs $13 on the NJ.gov crash report portal, and the portal says approval can take 14 business days from the crash date.
- Western Warren County (State Police): search by case number, driver's license, plate or last name. You do not need the report number.
- Garden State Parkway interchange in Clifton: a crash on the Parkway itself is a toll road report, $5 on the same portal. Our Garden State Parkway accident data covers that road.
- A fatal crash: State Police serious or fatal investigation records cost $20 on the same portal.
- Paterson: the city's short Route 46 stretch goes through Paterson police, which sends report requests to the BuyCrash online portal. See our Paterson car accident data.3
Which Route 46 towns have the most injury crashes?
Clifton leads with 213 injury crashes in 2023 and 2024, but Morris County holds the biggest share: 578 of 1,327, or 44 percent. Some nearby towns see few Route 46 crashes; see Woodland Park crash data.
See the full table
| Town, county | Hurt or killed | People hurt | All accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton City, Passaic | 213 | 300 | 839 |
| Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris | 101 | 130 | 433 |
| Dover Town, Morris | 94 | 125 | 330 |
| Mount Olive Twp, Morris | 91 | 155 | 428 |
| Little Falls Twp, Passaic (tied) | 86 | 117 | 432 |
| Wayne Twp, Passaic (tied) | 86 | 107 | 433 |
| Roxbury Twp, Morris | 80 | 113 | 315 |
| Ridgefield Park Village, Bergen | 56 | 71 | 157 |
| Little Ferry Boro, Bergen | 53 | 79 | 248 |
| Denville Twp, Morris | 52 | 68 | 262 |
| Rockaway Boro, Morris | 44 | 70 | 139 |
| Mine Hill Twp, Morris | 39 | 61 | 100 |
Each of the top three has its own page: Clifton car accident data, the Parsippany-Troy Hills car accident guide and Wayne car accident data.
Where on Route 46 do the most injury crashes happen?
At Galesi Drive in Wayne, with 27 injury crashes in 2024 and 2025. Little Falls has three of the top ten cross streets, 54 injury crashes between them.
See the full table
| Rank | Cross street as recorded | Town, county | Hurt or killed | All accidents | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galesi Drive | Wayne Twp, Passaic | 27 | 93 | 0 |
| 2 (tied) | Garden State Parkway | Clifton City, Passaic | 23 | 101 | 0 |
| 2 (tied) | Boulevard | Elmwood Park Boro, Bergen | 23 | 66 | 0 |
| 4 | Clove Road (County 620) | Little Falls Twp, Passaic | 20 | 109 | 0 |
| 5 | Route 23 | Wayne Twp, Passaic | 19 | 105 | 0 |
| 6 | Paterson Avenue (County 639) | Little Falls Twp, Passaic | 18 | 60 | 0 |
| 7 (tied) | Franklin Avenue | Rockaway Boro, Morris | 17 | 44 | 1 |
| 7 (tied) | Perry Street | Dover Town, Morris | 17 | 33 | 0 |
| 9 | Browertown Road (County 635) | Little Falls Twp, Passaic | 16 | 69 | 0 |
| 10 | South Beverwyck Road (County 637) | Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris | 14 | 59 | 0 |
Eleventh is Smithtown Road in Mount Olive with 13. The Little Falls cluster has its own Route 46 crash guide for Little Falls, and Route 23 accidents in New Jersey covers the crossing highway. Statewide hot spots are on our most dangerous NJ intersections page.
How many people die on Route 46, and who are they?
Fourteen people died in 2023 and 2024, and half of them were on foot. Statewide, pedestrians were about 32 percent of deaths (409 of 1,294).
See the full table
| Year | Town, county | Crash type as coded | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ridgefield Park Village, Bergen | Pedestrian | 1 |
| 2023 | Mine Hill Twp, Morris | Left turn or U turn | 1 |
| 2023 | Mount Olive Twp, Morris | Opposite direction (head on, angular) | 1 |
| 2023 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris | Pedestrian | 1 |
| 2024 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris | Pedestrian (3 crashes) | 3 |
| 2024 | Saddle Brook Twp, Bergen | Pedestrian | 1 |
| 2024 | Wayne Twp, Passaic | Pedestrian | 1 |
| 2024 | Clifton City, Passaic | Pedalcyclist | 1 |
| 2024 | Teterboro Boro, Bergen | Fixed object | 1 |
| 2024 | Mount Olive Twp, Morris | Same direction (side swipe) | 1 |
| 2024 | Totowa Boro, Passaic | Right angle | 1 |
| 2024 | White Twp, Warren | Non-fixed object | 1 |
2025 deaths so far (preliminary)
| Year | Town, county | Crash type as coded | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hackettstown Town, Warren | Pedestrian | 1 |
| 2025 | Rockaway Boro, Morris | Pedalcyclist | 1 |
| 2025 | Roxbury Twp, Morris | Pedalcyclist | 1 |
| 2025 | Lodi Boro, Bergen | Opposite direction (head on, angular) | 1 |
| 2025 | Knowlton Twp, Warren | Fixed object | 1 |
Parsippany-Troy Hills had only 6 Route 46 pedestrian crashes from 2023 to 2025, yet 4 of those people died. Dover had the most, 18 of 67, with nobody killed. The crash type codes are explained in how to read a New Jersey crash report.
How common are rear-end crashes on Route 46?
Very: 671 of the 1,327 injury crashes in 2023 and 2024 were rear-end, 51 percent, against 31 percent statewide.
Side swipes were frequent too, 1,431 crashes, but only 136 of them hurt or killed anyone.
Who is most at fault in a rear-end collision? Our page on who pays after a rear-end crash in New Jersey answers that. If both drivers share blame, see real fault splits in NJ cases; filing deadlines are on our NJ car accident statute of limitations page.
What else do people ask about Route 46 accidents?
How long does it take to get an accident report from a town police department?
Clifton, Wayne, Parsippany and the other Route 46 towns each set their own wait and fee. Our guide to getting a New Jersey accident report, agency by agency has the full process.
What should I do right after a rear-end crash on Route 46?
Call the police if anyone is hurt or damage to any one person is over $500; New Jersey law requires it right away. The rest is in the first 24 hours after a New Jersey car accident.
Does PIP cover you as a pedestrian?
Usually yes: PIP on your own or a household member's auto policy pays, even though no car of yours was involved. Exceptions are on our page about pedestrian crashes in New Jersey.
Are accident reports public record in NJ?
The basic crash report is a public record. Serious or fatal crash investigation materials are not, and need a subpoena or court order.6
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 46. 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 auto policy's PIP pays eligible medical expenses "no matter who caused the auto accident," up to your policy's limit and after its deductible and co-pay. If you chose your health insurance as primary, it pays first and PIP pays second. A claim against the other driver for pain and suffering is separate: it depends on fault and on the lawsuit option on your policy. 7
- Being partly at fault does not stop you from recovering, as long as your share is not greater than the other driver's, or the combined share of all the drivers you claim against (the "51 percent" rule). Your damages are reduced by your share. 8
- If someone is hurt or killed, or property damage to any one person is over $500, the driver must tell the police right away and send a written report to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days, unless a police officer files one. If police did not investigate, New Jersey's SR-1 self-reporting form is the form for that. 9
- An injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years, and a claim against a public body (a town, the state, NJ Transit) needs a written notice within 90 days. These are general rules with exceptions; check your own dates with a lawyer. 10
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 46? 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
- our analysis of NJDOT crash records as normalized by hudcostreets/nj-crashes, with the NJ State Police fatal crash supplement.
- our analysis of the NJDOT records; county totals on all roads from the same records.
- our count of the NJDOT records; N.J.S.A. 39:4-130; NJDOT Police Resources page; NJSP and NJTA crash reports portal; Paterson Police Department reports page; our agency report access table.
- our count of the NJDOT records.
- our count of the NJDOT records with NJ State Police fatal supplement; statewide figures from the same records.
- N.J.S.A. 39:4-130; NJSP and NJTA crash reports portal.
- NJ DOBI Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide 2026, pp. 2, 6; DOBI health insurance as primary
- N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1; NJ DOBI comparative negligence FAQ
- N.J.S.A. 39:4-130; NJDOT self-reporting crash form
- N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; N.J.S.A. 59:8-8
How we counted
We kept NJDOT crash records coded route 46 with a state, US, interstate or Parkway road-name prefix. Totals use 2023 and 2024; cross streets use 2024 and 2025, since the 2023 export spells streets differently. Spelling variants and the 2023 State Police station field are incomplete, so those counts are floors.
2025 holds 108 percent of the 2024 record count, but nine towns, including Denville and Mount Olive, are under 90 percent and late reports still arrive. Crash type is police coding, not a fault finding. These are counts, not rates per mile, and show nothing about fault or claim value.