Methuen, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Methuen: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Methuen 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 |
Compared with Massachusetts, Essex County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above Massachusetts on garbage-truck share.
The headline for Essex County: 1 in 13 crashes involve a garbage truck (137 since 2015), vs 5.3% across Massachusetts.
Overview
Essex County has recorded 1,776 truck crashes since 2015, with 816 people injured and 33 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Methuen had 159 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Essex County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 43.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (8.1%).
6.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Methuen happened on I-495 (4), SR-110 (4), I-93 (3), SR-125 (3) and Bridge St (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 137 crashes, 7.7% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
Their busiest month is December, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.8 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Methuen fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 4 |
| SR-110 | 4 |
| I-93 | 3 |
| SR-125 | 3 |
| Bridge St | 1 |
| Broadway Rd | 1 |
| Elm St | 1 |
| Route 110 | 1 |
| SR-121A | 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 |
Methuen at a glance
| Population | 54,272 |
| Land area | 22.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,443 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01844) | $113,212 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01844) | $500,102 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 40 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 159. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Methuen
How many truck accidents are there in Methuen?
1,776 truck crashes have been reported in Essex County since 2015, with 33 deaths and 816 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Methuen?
The worst month is December: 10.9% of truck crashes in Essex County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Methuen?
137 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Essex County since 2015, 7.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Methuen compared 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 Methuen?
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.