ROAD SAFETY ANAYLSIS
New Jersey Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in New Jersey from December 2025 through February 2026. It examines phone distraction rates, intersection-level hard braking activity, and corridor-level speeding patterns to determine where risk is most concentrated.
The report leverages insights from CMT’s StreetVision, an AI-powered behavioral analytics platform that provides decision-ready insights into roadway risk before crashes occur. Transportation officials use StreetVision to identify hotspots, prioritize high-impact safety interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures.
Here is a snapshot of our findings — covering distraction benchmarking, county-level concentration analysis, high-risk intersection identification, and corridor speeding patterns.
01 PHONE DISTRACTION
Monthly distraction rates: A comparison to the national benchmark
In December 2025, drivers in New Jersey recorded 21.77 phone tapping events per 100 miles driven, compared to the national average of 23.7, placing the state 8.1% below the US benchmark.
In January, the rate was 21.38, a 1.8% decrease from the prior month, and 9.2% below the national average.
By February, phone tapping increased to 22.17 events per 100 miles, marking a 3.7% increase from January. It was 7.9% lower than the US average.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
02 COUNTY ANALYSIS
County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving
Across the three-month period, New Jersey averaged 21.8 phone-tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that average.
The most distracted counties, led by Hudson, Essex, and Union, recorded distraction rates roughly 15% to 55% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Hunterdon, Warren, and Morris, reported rates about 15% to more than 30% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Hudson County
33.7
+54.8%Essex County
27.9
+28.2%Union County
25
+14.9Passaic County
24.8
+13.9Camden County
24.7
+13.5%Lowest Distraction
Hunterdon County
15
−31%Warren County
16.6
−23.8Morris County
17.7
−18.7%Somerset County
18.1
−16.9%Cape May County
18.8
−13.7%
03 HARD BRAKING
High risk intersections: Where hard braking signals elevated crash risk
Intersections account for roughly 25% of all US traffic deaths and 50% of all traffic injuries. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.
An analysis of Hudson County intersections found Hauxhurst Avenue and the Route 495 highway ramp to be a high-risk hotspot, with 375 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
Hauxhurst Ave & Route 495 Highway Ramp
375
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in New Jersey
Hard Braking Events per 100 miles
Locations with persistently high hard braking activity are widely recognized as candidates for proactive intervention — where targeted engineering improvements, enforcement visibility, or behavioral countermeasures may reduce crash risk before crashes occur.
04 SPEEDING PATTERNS
When & Where Speeding Risk Peaks
Speeding behavior in New Jersey follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On the Essex Freeway, in Harrison, New Jersey (50 mph), speeding peaks on Wednesday morning at 4:00 a.m. when 68% of driving time is 10 mph above the limit.
Another notable spike occurs on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. when over 54% of travel is above the posted speed.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
Essex Freeway, Harrison, New Jersey
Posted speed limit: 50 mph
Monday 4:00 a.m.
68%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Saturday: 8:00 a.m.
54%
of travel is above posted speed
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
05 SCHOOL ZONES
How fast are drivers going in school zones?
We analyzed speed distribution in the school zone at Hartshorn Elementary School on Hartshorn Drive in Millburn, New Jersey, focusing on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our analysis found that 27% of drivers exceed the 25 mph limit during these hours.
Understanding how frequently speeding occurs during school hours helps traffic engineers determine whether stronger safety measures are needed to better protect vulnerable road users.
StreetVision: The Future of Roadway Safety
You know your roads. Now see what you don't.
See how AI behavioral analytics can help you understand where risk is emerging, why it occurs, and what to do next.