Safe streets for humans and wildlife
A small problem, and a solvable one
Analyzing Montclair police crash data (June 2023–June 2026) and NJ state data (2024, the latest available), we found animal–car collisions are a very small roadway issue in Montclair.
0.87%
of all reported Montclair crashes involved an animal
That’s 34 of roughly 3,900 reported crashes over three years — and none of the 34 resulted in a reported injury to a human.
This is an issue that is manageable using targeted roadway safety and innovative speed reduction measures.
The crashes concentrate along a few key known high-speed corridors. The same roads show up in non-animal crashes too — which means the fix for one is the fix for both.
How Montclair compares
Animal-related crashes as a share of all reported crashes:
Even the worst case is small
Carcass pickups include animals that died from causes other than vehicle strikes. But even if every carcass pickup were counted as a crash — a deliberate overcount — animal-related crashes would still be only about 2.9% of all crashes. Still below the NJ county-road average, and on par with NJ municipal roads.
The highlights
34 animal crashes in three years (32 deer-related) out of roughly 3,900 total Montclair crashes, June 2023–June 2026.
Zero reported human injuries or fatalities in any of the 34 crashes. For every animal crash there were more than a hundred other collisions in Montclair.
Crashes are not increasing. They peaked at 15 in 2024 and fell to 7 in 2025 — numbers too small to show a trend.
Carcass pickups are relatively stable at an average of 37 per year across six years, and include causes of death other than vehicle strikes.
Where, when, and who
Where
- Four streets account for 56% of animal crashes.
- Upper Mountain Avenue alone accounts for 24% — 8 of the 34.
- The same high-risk roads show up in non-animal crashes, pointing to a clear need for speed reduction and enforcement on these segments.
When
- Two-thirds happen at dawn (5–8am) or dusk (5–9pm).
- A third occur in the October–November breeding and rut season.
- Timing is predictable, which makes it addressable.
Who
- Only 24% of drivers were Montclair residents.
- 76% came from out of town, using these roads as regional cross-town connectors.
- Cut-through traffic is a likely reason for higher speeds, and an argument for better road design and enforcement.
Read our letter to the editor
“Deer Account for Less Than 1% of Montclair’s Reported Traffic Crashes” — Montclair Local, July 17, 2026.
Read the letter in Montclair Local