New Castle County, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in New Castle County: 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
1.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How New Castle County compares with Delaware
New Castle County against Delaware and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where New Castle County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | New Castle County | Delaware | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.0 | 53.2 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 12% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.52 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 3.7% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.2% | 2.2% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.9% | 25.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.7% | 12.0% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 39.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.5% | 22.7% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with Delaware, New Castle County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
The headline for New Castle County: #1 of 3 among 3 counties in Delaware for truck crashes per year.
Overview
New Castle County has recorded 4,020 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,975 people injured and 87 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
The worst month is May with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.3% of truck crashes, against 39.9% across Delaware.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.0% of truck crashes.
2.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.2% across Delaware.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in New Castle County happened on I-95 (13), US-13 (13), SR-1 (7), I-495 (5) and SR-9 (3); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
142 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (Delaware: 3.7%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (11%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.5 deaths compared with 2.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for New Castle County fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in New Castle County.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in New Castle County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 New Castle County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in New Castle County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 13 |
| US-13 | 13 |
| SR-1 | 7 |
| I-495 | 5 |
| SR-9 | 3 |
| US-40 | 3 |
| SR-15 | 2 |
| SR-273 | 2 |
| US-301 | 2 |
| 500 Block S Market St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (New Castle County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 John F Kennedy Mem Hwy | 487 |
| I-495 Vietnam Vets Mem Hwy | 222 |
| Sr1 Korean War Vets Mem Hwy | 142 |
| I-95 | 85 |
| I-295 | 56 |
| Us13 Dupont Pkwy | 55 |
| Summit Bridge Rd | 53 |
| I-295 John F Kennedy Mem Hwy | 53 |
New Castle County at a glance
| Population | 588,093 |
| Land area | 426.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,379 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $95,647 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in New Castle 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 | 308 | — | 7.9 |
| 2000s | 222 | -28% | 6.5 |
| 2010s | 299 | +35% | 5.1 |
| 2020s | 354 | +19% | 6.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 308 to 354. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 5.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in New Castle County
ZIP codes in New Castle County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about New Castle County
How many truck crashes happen in New Castle County?
New Castle County has had 4,020 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,975 people and killing 87.
When do most truck crashes happen in New Castle County?
May has the most truck crashes in New Castle County, 9.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in New Castle County?
142 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in New Castle County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in New Castle County compare with Delaware?
The yearly rate is 59.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in New Castle County, vs 53.2 for Delaware.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in New Castle County?
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.