Newbury, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Newbury: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Newbury 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 sits below Massachusetts on 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
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.
Newbury had 18 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
The worst month is December with 10.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.8%.
November through March accounts for 43.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, 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
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Newbury since 2015 were spread across roads: I-495 (2), SR-286 (2), High St (1), I-95 (1) and US-1 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 137 crashes, 7.7% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (12% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.8, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Newbury fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Essex County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at December schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 2 |
| SR-286 | 2 |
| High St | 1 |
| I-95 | 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 |
Newbury at a glance
| Population | 6,880 |
| Land area | 23.4 sq mi |
| Density | 294 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01951) | $182,684 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01951) | $857,847 |
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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Newbury
How common are truck crashes in Newbury?
Since 2015, 1,776 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Essex County (816 injured, 33 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Newbury?
December has the most truck crashes in Essex County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Newbury?
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 Newbury compared 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 Newbury?
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.