Douglas, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Douglas: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Douglas 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 |
Compared with Massachusetts, Worcester County is lower on 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.
Douglas at a glance: I-395 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Douglas.
Overview
Worcester County has recorded 3,757 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,623 people injured and 63 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 11 truck crashes were reported in Douglas since 2015; patterns below come from Worcester County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (9.4% of the year) and are lowest in November (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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Douglas is I-395, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-16 (2), US-44 (2) and Central Tpke (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 148 crashes, 3.9% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (14%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.5, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Douglas fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Worcester County.
- Look at alternatives to I-395 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 9.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Massachusetts; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| I-395 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 2 |
| US-44 | 2 |
| Central Tpke | 1 |
| Dudley Rd | 1 |
| SR-102 | 1 |
| SR-146 | 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 |
Douglas at a glance
| Population | 9,452 |
| Land area | 36.4 sq mi |
| Density | 259 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01516) | $153,172 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01516) | $467,054 |
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.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Douglas
How many truck accidents are there in Douglas?
Worcester County has had 3,757 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,623 people and killing 63.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Douglas?
Since 2015, I-395 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Douglas: 3.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Douglas?
The worst month is August: 9.4% of truck crashes in Worcester County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Douglas?
Garbage trucks were involved in 148 reported crashes in Worcester County since 2015 (3.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Douglas compare with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Worcester County has 35.7 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Douglas?
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.