Bethany Beach, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bethany Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bethany Beach and Sussex County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sussex County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sussex County compares with Delaware
Sussex County against Delaware and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sussex County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sussex County | Delaware | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.6 | 53.2 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.52 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.6% | 2.2% | 6.2% | 28% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 25.1% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.3% | 12.0% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.2% | 39.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.8% | 22.7% | 24.8% | 26% below the state |
Sussex County has lower values than Delaware for on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Delaware on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Bethany Beach: SR-1 2 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Bethany Beach.
Overview
Police reported 1,559 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sussex County since 2015: 874 people were injured and 45 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 8 truck crashes were reported in Bethany Beach since 2015; patterns below come from Sussex County as a whole.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.2% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.2% of truck crashes, vs 39.9% for Delaware.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (8.9%).
Road surface: 1.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Delaware: 2.2%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Bethany Beach is SR-1, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-17 (1), SR-54 (1) and US-113 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
66 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.2% share (Delaware: 3.7%).
Their busiest month is September, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.9 deaths compared with 3.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Bethany Beach fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sussex County.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-1; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- 28.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Delaware; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Sussex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 2 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
| SR-54 | 1 |
| US-113 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sussex County) |
|---|---|
| Us113 Dupont Blvd | 107 |
| Us13 Sussex Hwy | 92 |
| Sr1 Coastal Hwy | 50 |
| John J Williams Hwy | 48 |
| Lewes-Georgetown Hwy | 42 |
| Us 13 Sussex Hwy | 36 |
| Seashore Hwy | 32 |
| Sussex Hwy | 30 |
Bethany Beach at a glance
| Population | 1,083 |
| Land area | 1.1 sq mi |
| Density | 943 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19930) | $125,491 |
| Median home value (ZIP 19930) | $879,929 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sussex 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 | 76 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 61 | -20% | 4.0 |
| 2010s | 106 | +73% | 4.3 |
| 2020s | 143 | +35% | 3.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 76 to 143. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 6.0 a year in 2016–19 and 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bethany Beach
How many truck accidents are there in Bethany Beach?
1,559 truck crashes have been reported in Sussex County since 2015, with 45 deaths and 874 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Bethany Beach?
Since 2015, SR-1 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Bethany Beach: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Bethany Beach?
The worst month is October: 9.2% of truck crashes in Sussex County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Bethany Beach?
Garbage trucks were involved in 66 reported crashes in Sussex County since 2015 (4.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Bethany Beach compare with Delaware?
The yearly rate is 49.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Sussex County, vs 53.2 for Delaware.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bethany Beach?
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.