Chester, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chester and Hampden County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hampden County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Hampden County compares with Massachusetts
Hampden County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hampden County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hampden County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 33.4 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 45% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.1% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.1% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.9% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.3% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.0% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Hampden County has lower values than Massachusetts for garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Chester: I-90 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Chester.
Overview
Police reported 1,805 crashes involving commercial trucks in Hampden County since 2015: 958 people were injured and 40 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 5 truck crashes were reported in Chester since 2015; patterns below come from Hampden County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.4%).
November through March accounts for 42.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 7.6% of truck crashes.
8.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-90 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). Next come SR-112 (1), SR-66 (1) and US-20 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
56 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.1% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (18% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.0 deaths compared with 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Chester fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-90, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 8.1% 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
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 Hampden County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 3 |
| SR-112 | 1 |
| SR-66 | 1 |
| US-20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hampden County) |
|---|---|
| Page Blvd | 16 |
| Main St | 10 |
| Boston Rd | 8 |
| Rte 91 N X 6 | 8 |
| Southampton Rd | 8 |
| Rte 91 N X 8 | 7 |
| Rte 91 S X 4 | 6 |
| River St | 6 |
Chester at a glance
| Population | 1,221 |
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
| Density | 875 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01011) | $89,299 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01011) | $307,525 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hampden 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 | 36 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 104 | +185% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 158 | +51% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 168 | +6% | 2.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 36 to 168. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 3.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chester
How common are truck crashes in Chester?
Since 2015, 1,805 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Hampden County (958 injured, 40 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Chester?
I-90 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Chester since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chester?
Truck crashes in Hampden County peak in September, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Chester?
Since 2015, Hampden County has reported 56 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Chester compare with Massachusetts?
The yearly rate is 33.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Hampden County, vs 22.9 for Massachusetts.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chester?
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.