Heath, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Heath: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Heath and Franklin County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Franklin County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 187 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Franklin County compares with Massachusetts
Franklin County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Franklin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Franklin County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 21.7 | 22.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.1 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 3.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 78% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.7% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.4% | 27.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.0% | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.5% | 41.9% | 41.9% | 15% below the state |
| After dark | 19.5% | 19.2% | 24.8% | same |
Franklin County has lower values than Massachusetts for garbage-truck share and winter months (nov–mar). It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Franklin County: 7.1 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Massachusetts: 2.0).
Overview
Since 2015, 187 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Franklin County. They injured 84 people and killed 12.
That averages about one truck crash every 24 days in fully reported years.
Only 4 truck crashes were reported in Heath since 2015; patterns below come from Franklin County as a whole.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 13.4% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (2.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 35.5% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 10.7% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Heath happened on SR-112 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.1% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Route planning tips for Heath fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Franklin County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 10.7% of truck crashes here, more than Massachusetts; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Franklin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-112 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Franklin County) |
|---|---|
| Greenfield Rd | 4 |
| Mohawk Trail | 4 |
| 3Rd St @ Ave A St | 2 |
| Avery Brook Rd | 2 |
| Federal St | 2 |
| Northfield Road | 2 |
| Prescott Rd @ Daniel Shays Hwy | 2 |
| Rte 2 | 2 |
Heath at a glance
| Population | 717 |
| Land area | 24.9 sq mi |
| Density | 29 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01346) | $113,650 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01346) | $293,130 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Franklin 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 | 8 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 18 | +110% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 16 | -9% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 16 | +2% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 16 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Heath
How many truck crashes happen in Heath?
Since 2015, 187 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Franklin County (84 injured, 12 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Heath?
The worst month is August: 13.4% of truck crashes in Franklin County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Heath?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Franklin County since 2015, 1.1% of all truck crashes.
How does Heath compare with Massachusetts for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 21.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Franklin County, vs 22.9 for Massachusetts.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Heath?
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.