Why Has Route 1 Become One Of New Jersey’s Deadliest Highways With 45 Deaths In Five Years?
Middlesex County officials have launched a comprehensive Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative to address the alarming rise in fatal crashes along one of New Jersey’s busiest highways. The multi-jurisdictional task force, set to be fully implemented this spring, aims to reduce traffic fatalities by 20% year over year by December 2025. Police departments from six municipalities will join county and state agencies in targeting dangerous driving behaviors through enhanced enforcement and data analysis. The initiative comes as Edison police reported 1,029 crashes on their section of Route 1 in 2024 alone, with four fatalities, followed by two more deaths in the first two months of 2025.
5 Key Points
- Over the past five years, 45 people have died in crashes on Route 1 in Middlesex County, which had the most roadway fatalities of any county in New Jersey in 2024.
- A new multi-jurisdictional task force will enforce road safety weekly with Woodbridge, Edison, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, and Plainsboro officers.
- The Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative targets a 20% year-over-year reduction in traffic fatalities by December 2025.
- Edison police reported 1,029 crashes on Route 1 in 2024, with four fatalities, and two more deaths occurred in January and February 2025.
- Officials cite high congestion, volatile drivers, commercial truck traffic, and a rise in collisions as key reasons for targeting Route 1.
What Recent Fatal Crashes Have Sparked Urgent Action?
Local officials have grown increasingly concerned as fatal accidents continue to plague Route 1 in Middlesex County. In January 2025, a Trenton woman was killed on Route 1 in South Brunswick when her vehicle struck the rear of a tractor-trailer before being hit by another vehicle. Just weeks later, in February, an Irvington man lost his life in an early morning crash at the intersection of Route 1 and Grandview Avenue in Edison. These incidents follow a troubling pattern established in 2024 when Edison police documented 1,029 crashes on their section of Route 1 alone, four of which were fatal. Edison Council President Margot Harris expressed alarm about the situation, stating, “It’s just gotten so out of hand with the accidents,” during a recent Township Council meeting where she questioned whether better coordination of traffic lights might enhance safety.
How Will The New Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force Operate?
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office has partnered with multiple agencies to create a specialized task force to enforce road safety along the Route 1 corridor. Police officers from Woodbridge, Edison, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, and Plainsboro will participate in weekly enforcement operations, joined by the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. The task force will receive grant funding from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to support its operations. While Route 1 remains the primary focus due to its high collision rate, the initiative will extend to other dangerous roadways throughout Middlesex County. Task force members will specifically target dangerous driving behaviors that pose risks to drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Data analysis will determine where concentrated traffic enforcement efforts should be focused along the 30-mile stretch of highway, allowing for strategic deployment of limited resources to maximize impact on driver behavior.
What Data-Driven Approach Is Being Implemented?
A working group consisting of county and state transportation, engineering, and planning agencies, along with local police departments, will meet monthly to evaluate traffic data and assess safety patterns. This collaborative approach aims to identify high-risk areas and behaviors contributing to the alarming crash statistics. “With the help of traffic real-time data collected on Route 1, we are armed with powerful information that can drive impactful solutions to reduce traffic deaths and crashes significantly,” explained Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. The initiative builds upon successful models like South Brunswick’s 2024 fatal crash reduction plan, which targeted speeding, red light violations, and driver inattention through awareness campaigns, education, and enforcement. Edison Deputy Police Chief Robert Dudash noted that in addition to statistical analysis, the Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative will study traffic light timing and camera placements to identify potential infrastructure improvements.
How Does This Initiative Connect To The County’s Vision Zero Strategy?
The Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative represents a key component of Middlesex County’s broader Vision Zero strategy adopted in 2022. The comprehensive action plan identifies crash locations, maps high-injury corridors, documents existing safety programs, and proposes targeted interventions designed to prevent crashes through engineering improvements, education, encouragement of safe behaviors, enforcement, continuous evaluation, and strategic partnerships. “Road safety is a top priority – it is the county’s mission to eliminate traffic fatalities,” stated Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. “We will continue to invest in infrastructure and ways to educate drivers and pedestrians on prevention to ensure safety for everyone.” The Vision Zero philosophy, originating in Sweden, rejects the notion that fatal crashes are inevitable and commits to a goal of zero traffic deaths. Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Kenny, who chairs transportation, explained the data-focused approach: “Vision Zero was created to help us make intelligent and informed decisions on traffic safety measures. The more we can predict driver behavior, the better we can target the issue and prevent serious injuries or deaths on our roads.”
Why Is Route 1 Particularly Dangerous In Middlesex County?
Several factors contribute to Route 1’s designation as a high-risk corridor in Middlesex County. The highway experiences high traffic volumes as a major artery connecting New Brunswick to Trenton while serving numerous shopping centers, office complexes, and residential areas. County officials specifically cited high congestion, volatile driver behavior, and heavy commercial truck traffic as contributing factors to the rise in collisions. The Edison section of Route 1 stretches from the Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges near New Brunswick to the Woodbridge border, containing numerous intersections and commercial entrances that create conflict points for vehicles. Route 1’s design as a through highway and local access road creates a challenging mix of high-speed traffic alongside cars entering and exiting businesses. The roadway’s dual function leads to speed differentials between vehicles and complex traffic patterns that increase crash risks. With more than 300 people dying on Middlesex County roadways over the past five years, with 45 of those fatalities occurring on Route 1 alone, officials recognized the urgent need for a targeted approach to this particular corridor.
FAQ
Q: When will the Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative be fully implemented?
A: According to county officials, the initiative is set to be fully implemented in spring 2025, with the goal of reducing traffic fatalities by 20% year over year by December 2025.
Q: Which police departments are participating in the Route 1 task force?
A: The task force includes officers from Woodbridge, Edison, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, and Plainsboro police departments, along with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office.
Q: How many crashes occurred on Route 1 in Edison during 2024?
A: Edison police reported 1,029 crashes on Route 1 in 2024, four of which were fatal.
Q: What is Vision Zero, and how does it relate to this initiative?
A: Vision Zero is Middlesex County’s strategy adopted in 2022 that aims to eliminate traffic fatalities through engineering, education, enforcement, evaluation, and partnerships. The Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative is part of this broader strategy.
Q: How many people have died in crashes on Route 1 in Middlesex County over the past five years?
A: According to county officials, 45 people have died in crashes on Route 1 in Middlesex County over the past five years.
Q: What specific driving behaviors will the task force target?
A: While not specified in detail, the initiative will crack down on dangerous driving behaviors that pose risks to drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, similar to South Brunswick’s 2024 plan that targeted speeding, running red lights, and driver inattention.
Q: Where in Middlesex County have the recent fatal crashes occurred?
A: Recent fatal crashes have occurred in South Brunswick (January 2025) and at the intersection of Route 1 and Grandview Avenue in Edison (February 2025).
Citations
Suzanne Russell (March 5, 2025). ‘Gotten so out of hand’: How Middlesex County is tackling spike in Route 1 fatal crashes. MyCentralJersey.com. https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2025/03/05/middlesex-county-nj-tackling-spike-in-route-1-fatal-crashes/80244372007/
