Chelsea, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chelsea: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chelsea and Suffolk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Suffolk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Suffolk County compares with Massachusetts
Suffolk County against Massachusetts and the US, 2016–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Suffolk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2016–2025) | Suffolk County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 13.6 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 41% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.7% | 5.3% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.6% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 61% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.6% | 27.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.4% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.1% | 41.9% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 23.0% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Suffolk County has lower values than Massachusetts for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Massachusetts on after dark.
The headline for Chelsea: I-93 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Chelsea: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Suffolk County has recorded 1,179 truck crashes since 2015, with 552 people injured and 23 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Chelsea had 93 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Suffolk County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.0% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.1% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across Massachusetts.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Massachusetts: 6.6%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-93 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). It is followed by SR-2A (4), SR-16 (3) and SR-28 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
67 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.7% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in June (15%).
They recorded 4.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Chelsea fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-93; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in June; review collection routes for that month.
- 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.
Crash reporting for 2015 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Suffolk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-93 | 6 |
| SR-2A | 4 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-28 | 3 |
| Cambridge St | 2 |
| Common St | 2 |
| I-95 | 2 |
| Massachusetts Ave | 2 |
| Putnam Ave | 2 |
| SR-99 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Suffolk County) |
|---|---|
| Rte 93 S X 15 | 9 |
| Frontage Rd @ Mass Ave Connector | 8 |
| Rte 1 | 8 |
| Rte 93 S X 14 | 7 |
| Eastern Ave | 7 |
| Rte 93 Sb @ Exit 23 | 6 |
| Rte 90 E Mm 131 | 6 |
| Lee Burbank Hwy | 6 |
Chelsea at a glance
| Population | 40,245 |
| Land area | 2.2 sq mi |
| Density | 18,137 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 02150) | $72,179 |
| Median home value (ZIP 02150) | $494,708 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Suffolk 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 | 29 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 63 | +114% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 106 | +69% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 110 | +4% | 2.2 |
In the 1990s about 29 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 110. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chelsea
How common are truck crashes in Chelsea?
Suffolk County has had 1,179 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 552 people and killing 23.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Chelsea?
I-93 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Chelsea since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chelsea?
October has the most truck crashes in Suffolk County, 10.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Chelsea?
67 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Suffolk County since 2015, 5.7% of all truck crashes.
How does Chelsea compare with Massachusetts for truck crashes?
Suffolk County records 13.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 22.9 across Massachusetts.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Chelsea?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2015; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.