Cambridge, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cambridge: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cambridge 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Middlesex County at a glance: November more garbage-truck crashes happen in November than in any other month (12%).
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.
Cambridge had 146 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
Truck crashes peak in January (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.4% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for Massachusetts.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 6.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Massachusetts: 6.6%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Cambridge since 2015 were spread across roads: I-93 (7), I-95 (7), SR-2A (4), Washington St (4) and I-90 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
255 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.7% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Their busiest month is November, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.2 deaths compared with 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Cambridge fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 30.4% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Massachusetts; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-93 | 7 |
| I-95 | 7 |
| SR-2A | 4 |
| Washington St | 4 |
| I-90 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-28 | 3 |
| Cambridge St | 2 |
| Common St | 2 |
| Massachusetts Ave | 2 |
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 |
Cambridge at a glance
| Population | 121,186 |
| Land area | 6.4 sq mi |
| Density | 18,944 per sq mi |
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. NHTSA counts 4.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 7.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cambridge
How common are truck crashes in Cambridge?
Middlesex County has had 4,505 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,863 people and killing 73.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cambridge?
The worst month is January: 9.5% of truck crashes in Middlesex County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cambridge?
255 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Middlesex County since 2015, 5.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Cambridge compared with Massachusetts?
The yearly rate is 23.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Middlesex County, vs 22.9 for Massachusetts.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Cambridge?
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.