Bear, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bear: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bear and New Castle County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use New Castle County numbers.
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 |
New Castle County has lower values than Delaware for deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above Delaware on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
What stands out in Bear: 2.2× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of Bear (2.8 → 6.0).
Overview
New Castle County has recorded 4,020 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,975 people injured and 87 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Bear had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use New Castle County numbers.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 9.2% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.3% of truck crashes, against 39.9% across Delaware.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out 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
Within this area, I-95 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (13). It is followed by US-13 (6), SR-1 (5) and SR-279 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 142 crashes, 3.5% of the total, against 3.7% across Delaware.
Their busiest month is January, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.5 deaths compared with 2.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Bear fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-95, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 13 |
| US-13 | 6 |
| SR-1 | 5 |
| SR-279 | 4 |
| US-40 | 4 |
| SR-213 | 3 |
| SR-273 | 2 |
| SR-9 | 2 |
| CR-7 Limestone Rd | 1 |
| Rogers Rd | 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 |
Bear at a glance
| Land area | 5.8 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19702) | $92,446 |
| Median home value (ZIP 19702) | $346,139 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 308 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 354. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 5.5 a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bear
How many truck crashes happen in Bear?
New Castle County has had 4,020 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,975 people and killing 87.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Bear?
NHTSA data shows I-95 with 13 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Bear since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Bear?
Truck crashes in New Castle County peak in May, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Bear?
142 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in New Castle County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Bear compared with Delaware?
New Castle County records 59.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 53.2 across Delaware.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Bear?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.