Hamilton, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hamilton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hamilton and Essex County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Essex County numbers.
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 has lower values than Massachusetts for crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Essex County: 1 in 13 crashes involve a garbage truck (137 since 2015), vs 5.3% across Massachusetts.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,776 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Essex County. They injured 816 people and killed 33.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
With 9 truck crashes reported in Hamilton since 2015, this page uses Essex County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 43.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 6.6% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Hamilton happened on High St (1), Newbury St (1), SR-128 (1) and US-1 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
137 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 7.7% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in December (12%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.8, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Hamilton fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Essex County.
- 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.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| High St | 1 |
| Newbury St | 1 |
| SR-128 | 1 |
| US-1 | 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 |
Hamilton at a glance
| Population | 7,670 |
| Land area | 14.2 sq mi |
| Density | 541 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01982) | $132,571 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01982) | $719,177 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.5 a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hamilton
How many truck crashes happen in Hamilton?
1,776 truck crashes have been reported in Essex County since 2015, with 33 deaths and 816 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Hamilton?
December has the most truck crashes in Essex County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Hamilton?
Since 2015, Essex County has reported 137 garbage-truck crashes, or 7.7% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Hamilton compare with Massachusetts?
The yearly rate is 18.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Essex County, vs 22.9 for Massachusetts.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Hamilton?
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.