District of Columbia truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in District of Columbia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 0.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How District of Columbia compares with United States
District of Columbia against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where District of Columbia stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | District of Columbia | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 18.7 | 49.7 | 62% below the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.8 | 3.4 | 76% below the US |
| Injuries per crash | 1.12 | 0.49 | 2.3× the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.4% | 2.3% | 1.9× the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 6.2% | 99% below the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 23.7% | 1.2× the US |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.6% | 13.8% | 45% below the US |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 8.7% | 24.8% | 65% below the US |
District of Columbia has lower values than the US for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for District of Columbia: 1 in 23 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.4%, against 2.3% for the US.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,539 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in District of Columbia. They injured 1,676 people and killed 13.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 9.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 6.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.9% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for the US.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 9.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (the US: 6.2%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in District of Columbia happened on 21st St Nw (1), 7th St Nw (1), Benning Rd Se (1), Bladensburg Rd Ne (1) and Calvert St Nw (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 68 of the truck crashes here, or 4.4%, compared with 2.3% in the US.
Their busiest month is November, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 0.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for District of Columbia fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.2% of truck crashes here, more than the US; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in District of Columbia
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in District of Columbia) |
|---|---|
| 21st St Nw | 1 |
| 7th St Nw | 1 |
| Benning Rd Se | 1 |
| Bladensburg Rd Ne | 1 |
| Calvert St Nw | 1 |
| Clay Place Ne | 1 |
| H St Nw | 1 |
| Howard Rd Se | 1 |
| I-395 | 1 |
| L St Se | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (District of Columbia) |
|---|---|
| New York Avenue Ne | 46 |
| Interstate 395 Interstate Bn | 33 |
| Kenilworth Avenue Ne | 29 |
| Pennsylvania Avenue Se | 27 |
| Massachusetts Avenue Nw | 23 |
| Georgia Avenue Nw | 22 |
| Benning Road Ne | 20 |
| New York Avenue Nw | 16 |
District of Columbia at a glance
| Population | 702,250 |
| Land area | 61.1 sq mi |
| Density | 11,489 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in District of Columbia since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 138 | +1866% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 148 | +7% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 142 | -4% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 7 to 142. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in District of Columbia
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about District of Columbia
How many truck accidents are there in District of Columbia?
1,539 truck crashes have been reported in District of Columbia since 2015, with 13 deaths and 1,676 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in District of Columbia?
The worst month is July: 9.7% of truck crashes in District of Columbia happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in District of Columbia?
Garbage trucks were involved in 68 reported crashes in District of Columbia since 2015 (4.4% of truck crashes).
How does District of Columbia compare with the US for truck crashes?
District of Columbia records 18.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 49.7 across the US.
How can I plan a safer truck route in District of Columbia?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.