Cheswold, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cheswold: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cheswold and Kent County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Kent County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Kent County compares with Delaware
Kent County against Delaware and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kent County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kent County | Delaware | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.1 | 53.2 | 49.7 | 27% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.52 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.9% | 3.7% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.7% | 2.2% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.8% | 25.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 12.0% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 39.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.1% | 22.7% | 24.8% | same |
Kent County sits below Delaware on crashes per 100k residents / yr. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Kent County: 3.7% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 2.2% in Delaware.
Overview
Kent County has recorded 893 truck crashes since 2015, with 511 people injured and 29 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
Cheswold had 53 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Kent County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 6.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.4% of truck crashes, vs 39.9% for Delaware.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 3.7% of truck crashes, compared with 2.2% in Delaware.
Where crashes happen
US-13 leads within 10 miles of Cheswold with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-1 (3), S. Little Creek Rd (1) and Westville Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
32 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.6% share (Delaware: 3.7%).
Their busiest month is April, with 19% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 6.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Cheswold fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-13, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- 3.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Delaware; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Kent County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-13 | 8 |
| SR-1 | 3 |
| S. Little Creek Rd | 1 |
| Westville Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kent County) |
|---|---|
| Us13 S Dupont Hwy | 56 |
| Sr1 Korean War Vets Mem Hwy | 37 |
| S Dupont Hwy | 29 |
| Us13 N Dupont Hwy | 28 |
| Bay Rd | 27 |
| Sr1 Bay Rd | 24 |
| Us 13 S Dupont Hwy | 23 |
| Sr-1 Bay Rd | 19 |
Cheswold at a glance
| Population | 2,537 |
| Land area | 1.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1,380 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19936) | $34,135 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kent County 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 | 56 | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 40 | -28% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 64 | +59% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 77 | +20% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 56 a year in the 1990s and 77 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cheswold
How many truck crashes happen in Cheswold?
Kent County has had 893 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 511 people and killing 29.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Cheswold?
NHTSA data shows US-13 with 8 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Cheswold since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cheswold?
March has the most truck crashes in Kent County, 9.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cheswold?
32 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Kent County since 2015, 3.6% of all truck crashes.
How does Cheswold compare with Delaware for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 39.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Kent County, vs 53.2 for Delaware.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Cheswold?
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.