Worcester County, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Worcester County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Worcester County compares with Massachusetts
Worcester County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Worcester County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Worcester County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.7 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 23% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.3% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.7% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.7% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.8% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Worcester County sits below Massachusetts on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Worcester County: I-90 deadliest road: 9 fatal truck crashes in Worcester County since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 3,757 crashes involving commercial trucks in Worcester County since 2015: 1,623 people were injured and 63 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.4%).
November through March accounts for 43.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 9.3% 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 (9). After it: US-20 (6), I-290 (4) and SR-140 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
148 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.9% share (Massachusetts: 5.3%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (14% of them).
They recorded 3.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Worcester County fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-90 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Worcester County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 9.3% of truck crashes here, more than Massachusetts; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Worcester County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Worcester County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 9 |
| US-20 | 6 |
| I-290 | 4 |
| SR-140 | 4 |
| SR-12 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| I-190 | 2 |
| I-495 | 2 |
| Central Tpke | 1 |
| Coleman St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Worcester County) |
|---|---|
| Main St | 54 |
| Cambridge St | 49 |
| Hammond St | 26 |
| Southwest Cutoff | 26 |
| Turnpike Rd | 23 |
| Webster St | 19 |
| E Main St | 13 |
| Southbridge St | 12 |
Worcester County at a glance
| Population | 881,248 |
| Land area | 1,510.7 sq mi |
| Density | 583 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $101,626 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Worcester 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 | 76 | — | 6.7 |
| 2000s | 220 | +190% | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 295 | +34% | 5.3 |
| 2020s | 352 | +19% | 4.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 76 a year in the 1990s and 352 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 5.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Worcester County
ZIP codes in Worcester County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Worcester County
How many truck crashes happen in Worcester County?
Since 2015, 3,757 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Worcester County (1,623 injured, 63 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Worcester County?
NHTSA data shows I-90 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes in Worcester County since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Worcester County?
August has the most truck crashes in Worcester County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Worcester County?
Since 2015, Worcester County has reported 148 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Worcester County compared with Massachusetts?
Worcester County records 35.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 22.9 across Massachusetts.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Worcester County?
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.