Wilmington, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wilmington: 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
2.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Wilmington compares with Delaware
Wilmington against Delaware and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wilmington stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wilmington | Delaware | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 94.2 | 53.2 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.52 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.7% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.0% | 2.2% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.9% | 25.1% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.0% | 12.0% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 39.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.9% | 22.7% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Wilmington has lower values than Delaware for deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It runs above Delaware on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Wilmington: 1 in 18 garbage-truck share of crashes is 5.7%, against 3.7% for Delaware.
Overview
Wilmington has recorded 794 truck crashes since 2015, with 437 people injured and 15 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 10.2% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 39.9% across Delaware.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 3.0% of truck crashes, compared with 2.2% in Delaware.
Where crashes happen
I-95 leads within 10 miles of Wilmington with 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-295 (7), I-495 (5) and SR-9 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
43 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.4% share (Delaware: 3.7%).
Their busiest month is August, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.3 deaths compared with 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Wilmington fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Wilmington.
- Look at alternatives to I-95 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in August; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 26.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Delaware.
- 3.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Delaware; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Wilmington
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 12 |
| I-295 | 7 |
| I-495 | 5 |
| SR-9 | 3 |
| US-13 | 3 |
| 700 New Jersey Turnpike | 2 |
| SR-273 | 2 |
| US-40 | 2 |
| 500 Block S Market St | 1 |
| CR-130 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Wilmington) |
|---|---|
| I-495 Vietnam Vets Mem Hwy | 105 |
| Terminal Ave | 28 |
| I-295 | 19 |
| S Walnut St | 16 |
| New Castle Ave | 15 |
| I-495 Vietnam Veterans Mem Hwy | 14 |
| Us202 Concord Pike | 13 |
| Concord Pike | 13 |
Wilmington at a glance
| Population | 73,176 |
| Land area | 10.9 sq mi |
| Density | 6,716 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wilmington 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 | 106 | — | 7.9 |
| 2000s | 38 | -64% | 6.5 |
| 2010s | 68 | +79% | 5.1 |
| 2020s | 67 | -2% | 6.8 |
In the 1990s about 106 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 67. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 5.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wilmington
How many truck crashes happen in Wilmington?
794 truck crashes have been reported in Wilmington since 2015, with 15 deaths and 437 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Wilmington?
Since 2015, I-95 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Wilmington: 12.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Wilmington?
Truck crashes in Wilmington peak in May, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Wilmington?
Garbage trucks were involved in 43 reported crashes in Wilmington since 2015 (5.4% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Wilmington compare with Delaware?
Wilmington records 94.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 53.2 across Delaware.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Wilmington?
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.