Salisbury, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salisbury: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Salisbury 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
The headline for Salisbury: SR-286 2 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Salisbury.
Overview
Police reported 1,776 crashes involving commercial trucks in Essex County since 2015: 816 people were injured and 33 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
With 38 truck crashes reported in Salisbury since 2015, this page uses Essex County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
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.
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
Within this area, SR-286 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). After it: I-495 (1), I-95 (1) and US-1 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 137 of the truck crashes here, or 7.7%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
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 Salisbury fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Essex County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-286 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-286 | 2 |
| I-495 | 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 |
Salisbury at a glance
| Population | 9,415 |
| Land area | 5.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,601 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01952) | $93,361 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01952) | $478,943 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 40 to 159. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Salisbury
How many truck accidents are there in Salisbury?
Essex County has had 1,776 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 816 people and killing 33.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Salisbury?
NHTSA data shows SR-286 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Salisbury since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Salisbury?
Truck crashes in Essex County peak in December, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Salisbury?
137 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Essex County since 2015, 7.7% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Salisbury compare with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Essex County has 18.6 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Salisbury?
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.