North Adams, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Adams: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Adams and Berkshire County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Berkshire County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
12 of 425 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Berkshire County compares with Massachusetts
Berkshire County against Massachusetts and the US, 2016–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Berkshire County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2016–2025) | Berkshire County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.6 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 51% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 18.4% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 2.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.7% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 24% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.4% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.9× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.7% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Berkshire County sits below Massachusetts on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Berkshire County: 18.4% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Overview
Police reported 425 crashes involving commercial trucks in Berkshire County since 2015: 169 people were injured and 11 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 10 days.
With 13 truck crashes reported in North Adams since 2015, this page uses Berkshire County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 14.1% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (5.6%).
November through March accounts for 44.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (9.4%).
18.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of North Adams since 2015: SR-8 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
12 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.8% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Route planning tips for North Adams fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 18.4% of truck crashes here, more than Massachusetts; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2015, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Berkshire County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-8 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Berkshire County) |
|---|---|
| Rte 90 W Mm 16 | 5 |
| South St | 5 |
| Cheshire Rd | 4 |
| Cold Spring Rd | 4 |
| Main St | 4 |
| State Rd | 3 |
| Rte 90 Wb Mm 19.8 | 3 |
| Rte 90 W Mm 0.6 | 3 |
North Adams at a glance
| Population | 12,492 |
| Land area | 20.3 sq mi |
| Density | 614 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01247) | $52,330 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01247) | $201,418 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Berkshire 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 | 17 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 38 | +118% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 38 | +2% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 39 | +1% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 17 to 39. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Adams
How many truck crashes happen in North Adams?
425 truck crashes have been reported in Berkshire County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 169 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in North Adams?
January has the most truck crashes in Berkshire County, 14.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in North Adams?
Garbage trucks were involved in 12 reported crashes in Berkshire County since 2015 (2.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in North Adams compare with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Berkshire County has 29.6 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in North Adams?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2015; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.