Wales, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wales: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wales 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 sits below Massachusetts on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Massachusetts on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Wales at a glance: I-84 4 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Wales.
Overview
Police reported 1,805 crashes involving commercial trucks in Hampden County since 2015: 958 people were injured and 40 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Wales since 2015; patterns below come from Hampden County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 9.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.3% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across Massachusetts.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.6%).
8.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-84 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). It is followed by I-90 (3), Monson Rd (1) and SR-131 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 56 of the truck crashes here, or 3.1%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (18%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.0, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Wales fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Hampden County.
- Check whether your routes use I-84, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in August; review collection routes for that month.
- With 8.1% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Massachusetts), plan winter equipment 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 Hampden County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-84 | 4 |
| I-90 | 3 |
| Monson Rd | 1 |
| SR-131 | 1 |
| SR-19 | 1 |
| SR-198 | 1 |
| SR-32 | 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 |
Wales at a glance
| Population | 1,828 |
| Land area | 15.8 sq mi |
| Density | 116 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01081) | $86,979 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01081) | $294,822 |
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 Wales
How many truck crashes happen in Wales?
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 Wales?
Since 2015, I-84 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Wales: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Wales?
The worst month is September: 9.6% of truck crashes in Hampden County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Wales?
Since 2015, Hampden County has reported 56 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Wales compared with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Hampden County has 33.4 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Wales?
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.