Marlborough, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Marlborough: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Marlborough 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 sits below Massachusetts on 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).
What stands out in Marlborough: I-90 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Marlborough since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 4,505 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Middlesex County. They injured 1,863 people and killed 73.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Marlborough had 171 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.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (9.1%).
Road surface: 6.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Massachusetts: 6.6%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-90 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). Next come I-495 (4), SR-135 (1) and US-20 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 255 crashes, 5.7% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in November (12% of them).
They recorded 1.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Marlborough fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Middlesex County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-90; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in November; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 30.4% of truck crashes here, more than Massachusetts; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 6 |
| I-495 | 4 |
| SR-135 | 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 |
Marlborough at a glance
| Population | 42,169 |
| Land area | 20.9 sq mi |
| Density | 2,021 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01752) | $91,968 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01752) | $514,051 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.2 a year in 2016–19 and 7.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Marlborough
How many truck crashes happen in Marlborough?
4,505 truck crashes have been reported in Middlesex County since 2015, with 73 deaths and 1,863 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Marlborough?
NHTSA data shows I-90 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Marlborough since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Marlborough?
The worst month is January: 9.5% of truck crashes in Middlesex County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Marlborough?
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 Marlborough compared with Massachusetts?
Middlesex County records 23.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 22.9 across Massachusetts.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Marlborough?
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.