KEY TAKEAWAYS
- #5 in the Nation: New Jersey posted the fifth-sharpest year-over-year percentage increase in fatal large truck driver crashes of any U.S. state, rising from 54 in 2024 to 79 in 2025, a 46.3% jump, while national fatalities declined 9.9%.
- Largest Absolute Gain in the Northeast: New Jersey’s 25 additional fatal crashes were the most of any Northeast state, accounting for 56.8% of the 44 additional crashes recorded across the six Northeast states that saw year-over-year increases.
- Volume-Driven, Not a Low-Baseline Artifact: Unlike the top three states on this list, New Jersey’s increase was built on a substantial base of 54 crashes.
New Jersey sits at the heart of the Northeast’s freight network, with one of the densest concentrations of truck traffic in the country. The state’s compact geography means large trucks share tightly congested roads with millions of daily commuters, making every mile a high-stakes environment. For most of the past decade, the state’s fatal truck crash numbers had remained relatively stable. But a recent and pronounced uptick has placed New Jersey among the sharpest risers in a national ranking that demands attention.
This study, by Breakstone, White & Gluck, a Boston-based personal injury law firm, analyzed fatal crash data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for 2024 and 2025 across all 50 U.S. states, ranking each by year-over-year percentage change in fatal large truck driver crashes.
NEW JERSEY AT A GLANCE: STATE PROFILE
| State | New Jersey |
| Region | Northeast |
| Fatal Large Truck Crashes (2024) | 54 |
| Fatal Large Truck Crashes (2025) | 79 |
| Net Change | +25 |
| Year-Over-Year Change | +46.3% |
| National Rank (YoY % Increase) | #5 of 50 |
| Rank by 2025 Crash Volume | 22nd of 50 |
| Share of National Total (2025) | 1.84% |
STATES WITH THE SHARPEST YEAR-OVER-YEAR RISE IN FATAL LARGE TRUCK DRIVER CRASHES
| Rank | State | 2024 Fatalities | 2025 Fatalities | YoY Change |
| 1 | Vermont | 1 | 5 | +400.0% |
| 2 | Hawaii | 2 | 9 | +350.0% |
| 3 | Delaware | 1 | 4 | +300.0% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 7 | 14 | +100.0% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 54 | 79 | +46.3% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 29 | 42 | +44.8% |
| 7 | Michigan | 93 | 131 | +40.9% |
| 8 | Louisiana | 78 | 106 | +35.9% |
| 9 | West Virginia | 22 | 29 | +31.8% |
| 10 | Montana | 20 | 26 | +30.0% |
New Jersey’s 46.3% increase ranks fifth nationally, but unlike the top three states on this list, its surge was driven by a substantial base of 54 crashes rather than a single-digit starting point. Its 25 additional fatal crashes were the third-largest absolute gain of any state, behind only Michigan (+38) and Louisiana (+28).
NEW JERSEY VS. STATES WITH THE STEEPEST YEAR-OVER-YEAR DECLINE IN FATAL LARGE TRUCK DRIVER CRASHES
| Rank | State | 2024 Fatalities | 2025 Fatalities | YoY Change |
| New Jersey | 54 | 79 | +46.3% | |
| 1 | Rhode Island | 3 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2 | Connecticut | 31 | 13 | -58.1% |
| 3 | Alaska | 7 | 4 | -42.9% |
| 4 | California | 386 | 262 | -32.1% |
| 5 | Maryland | 74 | 51 | -31.1% |
| 6 | Missouri | 147 | 110 | -25.2% |
| 7 | Tennessee | 166 | 127 | -23.5% |
| 8 | Colorado | 84 | 65 | -22.6% |
| 9 | Mississippi | 54 | 42 | -22.2% |
| 10 | Indiana | 135 | 106 | -21.5% |
While New Jersey posted a 46.3% increase to rank fifth among all 50 states, these 10 states moved in the opposite direction, with Rhode Island reaching zero fatal crashes and Connecticut cutting its total by more than half. The contrast highlights how sharply state-level trends can diverge even within the same national decline of 9.9%.
METHODOLOGY
This analysis examined fatal crash statistics involving large truck drivers across all 50 U.S. states for the calendar years 2024 and 2025, using data obtained from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Year-over-year percentage change was calculated as (2025 Fatalities minus 2024 Fatalities) divided by 2024 Fatalities, multiplied by 100. States were ranked from the largest percentage increase to the largest percentage decline. Regional classifications follow the U.S. Census Bureau’s four-region framework: Northeast (11 states), South (14 states), Midwest (12 states), and West (13 states).
DATA SOURCES
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Crash Statistics Portal: https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/CrashStatistics
Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z2aC79efDSAAEbfl4tewDGKu2RGQF4F_gxcrD2fiC2k/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Study by: https://www.bwglaw.com/
ABOUT BREAKSTONE, WHITE & GLUCK
Breakstone, White & Gluck is a Boston-based personal injury law firm with over 30 years of experience representing victims of negligence, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. Recognized among the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts and New England, the firm advocates for individuals harmed by preventable accidents.