Shirley Town, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shirley Town: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Shirley Town 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 runs above Massachusetts on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Middlesex County: 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Shirley Town had 5 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%).
November through March accounts for 42.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 9.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 6.2% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Shirley since 2015 were spread across roads: I-190 (2), I-495 (2), SR-12 (2), Littleton Rd (1) and Mason Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 255 of the truck crashes here, or 5.7%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in November (12% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.2 deaths compared with 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Shirley Town fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Middlesex County.
- Waste haulers: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Middlesex County.
- 30.4% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Massachusetts; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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-190 | 2 |
| I-495 | 2 |
| SR-12 | 2 |
| Littleton Rd | 1 |
| Mason Rd | 1 |
| SR-2A | 1 |
| Upham St | 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 |
Shirley Town at a glance
| Population | 7,042 |
| Land area | 15.8 sq mi |
| Density | 445 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01464) | $122,365 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01464) | $430,995 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 107 to 406. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 Shirley Town
How many truck crashes happen in Shirley Town?
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 Shirley Town?
January has the most truck crashes in Middlesex County, 9.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Shirley Town?
Garbage trucks were involved in 255 reported crashes in Middlesex County since 2015 (5.7% of truck crashes).
How does Shirley Town compare with Massachusetts for truck crashes?
Middlesex County records 23.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 22.9 across Massachusetts.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Shirley Town?
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.