Essex County, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Essex County: 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
0.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Essex County compares with Massachusetts
Essex County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Essex County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Essex County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 18.6 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 19% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 7.7% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 27.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.3% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.9% | 19.2% | 24.8% | same |
Essex County sits below Massachusetts on crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above Massachusetts on garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Essex County: I-495 most fatal truck crashes in Essex County: 5 since 2015.
Overview
Essex County has recorded 1,776 truck crashes since 2015, with 816 people injured and 33 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.3% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 6.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Massachusetts: 6.6%).
Where crashes happen
I-495 leads in Essex County with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-110 (4), SR-125 (3) and US-1 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
137 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 7.7% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Their busiest month is December, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.8, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Essex County fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Essex County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-495; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Essex County.
- 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 Essex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Essex County) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 5 |
| SR-110 | 4 |
| SR-125 | 3 |
| US-1 | 3 |
| I-95 | 2 |
| Elm St | 1 |
| High St | 1 |
| I-93 | 1 |
| Newbury St | 1 |
| SR-128 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Essex County) |
|---|---|
| Rte 495 | 23 |
| Rte 1 | 17 |
| Broadway | 12 |
| Main St | 12 |
| Rte 95 | 11 |
| Lowell St | 7 |
| Washington St | 7 |
| Rte 495 S X 97A | 6 |
Essex County at a glance
| Population | 823,938 |
| Land area | 492.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,673 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $109,263 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Essex 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 | 40 | — | 3.4 |
| 2000s | 112 | +183% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 158 | +42% | 2.8 |
| 2020s | 159 | +1% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 40 a year in the 1990s and 159 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Essex County
ZIP codes in Essex County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Essex County
How many truck accidents are there in Essex County?
1,776 truck crashes have been reported in Essex County since 2015, with 33 deaths and 816 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Essex County?
I-495 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Essex County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Essex County?
The worst month is December: 10.9% of truck crashes in Essex County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Essex County?
Since 2015, Essex County has reported 137 garbage-truck crashes, or 7.7% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Essex County compare with Massachusetts?
Essex County records 18.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 22.9 across Massachusetts.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Essex County?
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.