Houston, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Houston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Houston 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 has lower values than Delaware for crashes per 100k residents / yr. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Kent County: 3.7% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Delaware: 2.2%).
Overview
Police reported 893 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kent County since 2015: 511 people were injured and 29 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
With 13 truck crashes reported in Houston since 2015, this page uses Kent County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in December (6.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.4% of truck crashes, against 39.9% across Delaware.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (8.1%).
Road surface: 3.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Delaware: 2.2%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Houston happened on SR-1 (3), SR-14 (3), SR-15 (2), CR-213 N Old State Rd (1) and SR-12 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 32 crashes, 3.6% of the total, against 3.7% across Delaware.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (19% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.2, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Houston fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Kent County.
- 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 3 |
| SR-14 | 3 |
| SR-15 | 2 |
| CR-213 N Old State Rd | 1 |
| SR-12 | 1 |
| SR-35 | 1 |
| US-113 | 1 |
| US-13 | 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 |
Houston at a glance
| Population | 404 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,055 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19954) | $60,345 |
| Median home value (ZIP 19954) | $316,813 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 56 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 77. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Houston
How common are truck crashes in Houston?
893 truck crashes have been reported in Kent County since 2015, with 29 deaths and 511 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Houston?
Truck crashes in Kent County peak in March, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Houston?
Garbage trucks were involved in 32 reported crashes in Kent County since 2015 (3.6% of truck crashes).
How does Houston 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.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Houston?
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.