Athol, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Athol: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Athol and Worcester County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Worcester County numbers.
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 has lower values than Massachusetts for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Massachusetts on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Worcester County: January garbage-truck crashes peak in January (14% of the year's total).
Overview
Police reported 3,757 crashes involving commercial trucks in Worcester County since 2015: 1,623 people were injured and 63 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 19 truck crashes reported in Athol since 2015, this page uses Worcester County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.7% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for 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
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Athol since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-2 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 148 crashes, 3.9% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
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 Athol fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Worcester County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- With 9.3% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Massachusetts), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-2 | 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 |
Athol at a glance
| Population | 12,105 |
| Land area | 8.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,479 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01331) | $72,181 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01331) | $281,968 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 76 to 352. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 5.2 a year in 2016–19 and 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Athol
How common are truck crashes in Athol?
Worcester County has had 3,757 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,623 people and killing 63.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Athol?
Truck crashes in Worcester County peak in August, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Athol?
148 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Worcester County since 2015, 3.9% of all truck crashes.
How does Athol compare with Massachusetts for truck crashes?
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 Athol?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.