Harvard, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Harvard: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Harvard 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.
The headline for Worcester County: January more garbage-truck crashes happen in January than in any other month (14%).
Overview
Worcester County has recorded 3,757 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,623 people injured and 63 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Only 59 truck crashes were reported in Harvard 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%).
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.
9.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Harvard since 2015 were spread across roads: I-190 (2), I-495 (2), Littleton Rd (1), SR-12 (1) and SR-2A (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 148 of the truck crashes here, or 3.9%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (14%).
They recorded 3.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Harvard fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Worcester County.
- 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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-190 | 2 |
| I-495 | 2 |
| Littleton Rd | 1 |
| SR-12 | 1 |
| SR-2A | 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 |
Harvard at a glance
| Population | 7,004 |
| Land area | 26.4 sq mi |
| Density | 265 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01451) | $214,792 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01451) | $852,028 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 76 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 352. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Harvard
How common are truck crashes in Harvard?
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 Harvard?
August has the most truck crashes in Worcester County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Harvard?
148 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Worcester County since 2015, 3.9% of all truck crashes.
How does Harvard compare with Massachusetts for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Worcester County has 35.7 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Harvard?
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.