Blades, DE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Blades: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Blades 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. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Blades: US-13 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Blades since 2015.
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.
Blades had 25 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sussex County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 7.1%.
November through March accounts for 38.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 39.9% in Delaware.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 8.9% of truck crashes.
1.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.2% across Delaware.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-13 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). After it: SR-18 (2), Atlanta Rd (1) and CR-46 Old Furnace Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 66 crashes, 4.2% of the total, against 3.7% across Delaware.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in September (14% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.9 deaths compared with 3.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Blades fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sussex County.
- Check whether your routes use US-13, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 28.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Delaware.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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) |
|---|---|
| US-13 | 3 |
| SR-18 | 2 |
| Atlanta Rd | 1 |
| CR-46 Old Furnace Rd | 1 |
| CR-543 | 1 |
| Horsey Church Road | 1 |
| SR-20 | 1 |
| SR-24 | 1 |
| SR-30 | 1 |
| SR-313 | 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 |
Blades at a glance
| Population | 1,330 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 2,405 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19973) | $64,387 |
| Median home value (ZIP 19973) | $271,581 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 76 a year in the 1990s and 143 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 6.0 a year in 2016–19, 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Blades
How many truck accidents are there in Blades?
Since 2015, 1,559 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sussex County (874 injured, 45 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Blades?
NHTSA data shows US-13 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Blades since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Blades?
Truck crashes in Sussex County peak in October, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Blades?
Since 2015, Sussex County has reported 66 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.2% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Blades 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 Blades?
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.