Salem, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Salem 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.
The headline for Salem: US-1 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Salem: 2 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,776 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Essex County. They injured 816 people and killed 33.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 30 truck crashes were reported in Salem since 2015; patterns below come from Essex County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.3% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for Massachusetts.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
6.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
US-1 leads within 10 miles of Salem with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-95 (1), Newbury St (1) and SR-99 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 137 crashes, 7.7% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in December (12%).
They recorded 0.8 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Salem fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-1, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| US-1 | 2 |
| I-95 | 1 |
| Newbury St | 1 |
| SR-99 | 1 |
| Sylvan St | 1 |
| Washington St | 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 |
Salem at a glance
| Population | 45,677 |
| Land area | 8.3 sq mi |
| Density | 5,507 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01970) | $85,041 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01970) | $542,958 |
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. 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 Salem
How common are truck crashes in Salem?
Essex County has had 1,776 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 816 people and killing 33.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Salem?
NHTSA data shows US-1 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Salem since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Salem?
Truck crashes in Essex County peak in December, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Salem?
Garbage trucks were involved in 137 reported crashes in Essex County since 2015 (7.7% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Salem compare with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Essex County has 18.6 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Salem?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.