Harwich, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Harwich: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Harwich and Barnstable County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Barnstable County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Barnstable County compares with Massachusetts
Barnstable County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Barnstable County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Barnstable County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 21.0 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 8% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.8% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.3% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 35% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 34.1% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.1% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 31% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 33.0% | 41.9% | 41.9% | 21% below the state |
| After dark | 8.6% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 55% below the state |
Compared with Massachusetts, Barnstable County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Barnstable County: June more garbage-truck crashes happen in June than in any other month (24%).
Overview
Since 2015, 569 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Barnstable County. They injured 298 people and killed 14.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Only 42 truck crashes were reported in Harwich since 2015; patterns below come from Barnstable County as a whole.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 12.8% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (4.0%).
November through March accounts for 33.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 11.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Massachusetts: 6.6%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Harwich since 2015 were spread across roads: US-6 (2), Old Bass River Rd (1) and Old Chatham Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
34 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 6.0% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Their busiest month is June, with 24% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Harwich fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Barnstable County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 34.1% of truck crashes here, more than Massachusetts; adjust start times where you can.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Barnstable County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-6 | 2 |
| Old Bass River Rd | 1 |
| Old Chatham Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Barnstable County) |
|---|---|
| Sandwich Rd | 13 |
| Macarthur Blvd | 12 |
| Rte 6 | 7 |
| Main St | 6 |
| Iyannough Rd | 5 |
| Rte 25 Eb Mm 9 | 5 |
| Scenic Hwy | 5 |
| Falmouth Rd Rte 28 | 4 |
Harwich at a glance
| Population | 13,620 |
| Land area | 20.9 sq mi |
| Density | 652 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 02645) | $104,401 |
| Median home value (ZIP 02645) | $648,081 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Barnstable 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 | 12 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 35 | +201% | 1.8 |
| 2010s | 58 | +67% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 46 | -21% | 2.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 46. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Harwich
How common are truck crashes in Harwich?
Barnstable County has had 569 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 298 people and killing 14.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Harwich?
The worst month is June: 12.8% of truck crashes in Barnstable County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Harwich?
Since 2015, Barnstable County has reported 34 garbage-truck crashes, or 6.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Harwich compared with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Barnstable County has 21.0 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Harwich?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.