Ashland, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ashland: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ashland and Middlesex County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Middlesex County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Middlesex County compares with Massachusetts
Middlesex County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Middlesex County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Middlesex County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 23.2 | 22.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.7% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.2% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 7% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.4% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.8% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.4% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.5% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Middlesex County has lower values than Massachusetts for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Middlesex County: November garbage-truck crashes peak in November (12% of the year's total).
Overview
Middlesex County has recorded 4,505 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,863 people injured and 73 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Ashland had 19 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Middlesex County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 9.5% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.9%).
November through March accounts for 42.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.1% of truck crashes.
6.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Ashland happened on I-495 (6), I-90 (6), SR-135 (1), SR-16 (1) and US-20 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 255 crashes, 5.7% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in November (12%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.2, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Ashland fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 30.4% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Massachusetts.
- 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 Middlesex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 6 |
| I-90 | 6 |
| SR-135 | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
| US-20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Middlesex County) |
|---|---|
| Main St | 52 |
| Rte 495 | 24 |
| Washington St | 19 |
| Ballardvale St | 19 |
| Main Street | 16 |
| Boston Post Rd | 16 |
| Rte 90 E X 123 | 15 |
| Lowell St | 13 |
Ashland at a glance
| Population | 19,391 |
| Land area | 12.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,572 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01721) | $127,539 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01721) | $610,407 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Middlesex 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 | 107 | — | 5.5 |
| 2000s | 284 | +165% | 4.7 |
| 2010s | 398 | +40% | 4.5 |
| 2020s | 406 | +2% | 7.0 |
In the 1990s about 107 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 406. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.2 a year in 2016–19, 7.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ashland
How many truck accidents are there in Ashland?
4,505 truck crashes have been reported in Middlesex County since 2015, with 73 deaths and 1,863 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ashland?
The worst month is January: 9.5% of truck crashes in Middlesex County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ashland?
Garbage trucks were involved in 255 reported crashes in Middlesex County since 2015 (5.7% of truck crashes).
How does Ashland compare with Massachusetts for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Middlesex County has 23.2 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Ashland?
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.