The Dangers of East Hanover Ave

On January 6, 2022, Thursday around 11:30 AM a man was struck by a car while crossing at the intersection of East Hanover and Speedwell Avenue. The man was alert and conscious and reported minor injuries by EMT as he was transported to the hospital.

Between 2008 and 2011, there were 134 motor vehicle collisions occurring at intersections along East Hanover Avenue. Since 2011, collisions and fatalities on East Hanover Avenue have risen in rate.

East Hanover Avenue has seven major intersections, with most motor vehicle accidents occurring at Speedwell Avenue, Ridgedale Ave, and MLK Ave/Horse Hill Road – with 11, 8, and 6 accidents per year on average, respectively.

These statistics reveal the dangers of the East Hanover Avenue intersections, and further analysis of accident and fatality reports at many of East Hanover’s intersections reveals that the roadway is one of the most dangerous in Morris County.

Accidents and fatalities in Morris County have been trending downward for the last 20 years.

The intersection at Hanover and Speedwell sees an average of 12 motor vehicle accidents per year. The East Hanover and Ridgedale Avenue intersection sees approximately 8 accidents per year, and the East Hanover and Martin Luther King Avenue intersection sees an average of just over 6 accidents per year.

Most of these crashes result in only property damage with no fatalities or major injuries. The most common property damage is a result of rear-ending at one of the above intersections.

Study of East Hanover Avenue roadways/intersections.

Continually, most of these crashes (29%) occur between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 PM. The next most common time for an accident is between the hours of 12:00 and 3:00 PM (18%), and 6:00 to 9:00 AM (16.5%).

You may assume road conditions have a major impact on reported crashes, however, an analysis of crash statistics revealed that 82% of crashes occur when the roads are dry.

Study of East Hanover Avenue roadways/intersections.

Pedestrians were struck most often (48%) while crossing where prohibited at East Hanover Avenue. While 20% of car-on-pedestrian collisions took place inside marked crosswalks of the street.

The cause of accidents occurring on East Hanover Ave was mostly due to driver inattention (28%) or pedestrian violation (23%) such as crossing roadways where prohibited.

Study of East Hanover Avenue roadways/intersections.

Morris County released a 2013 traffic study of East Hanover Avenue and its intersections which included identifications of danger zones.

The results show that many sidewalk conditions make pedestrian activity along the roadway exceedingly unsafe.

Along with the 2013 East Hanover report, a plan for the improvement of pedestrian walkways and road conditions was proposed in three separate budgets:

• a low-level improvement of roadways for $270,000.
• a moderate improvement of roadways for $6,225,000.
• and a significant improvement plan for East Hanover with a budget between $6,370,000 and $11,110,000.

Study of East Hanover Avenue roadways/intersections.

This 2013 report is likely a partial cause of the current crosswalk improvement projects taking place throughout Morristown. The town plans to enact parts of all three budget proposals, identifying the areas that require the most significant improvements and allocating resources to these areas.

The East Hanover and Speedwell Avenue intersection will likely see the most significant improvement work in the coming years.

Have you had a scary experience at one of the above-mentioned intersections? What would you like to see our town officials do to remedy the dangers of East Hanover Avenue intersections?

Let us know in the comments below.

Be safe on the roads in Morristown!

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