Royalston, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Royalston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Royalston 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). Where it is higher: 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.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Royalston since 2015; patterns below come from Worcester County as a whole.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.7% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for Massachusetts.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 9.3% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Royalston since 2015: SR-140 (2) and SR-119 (1). No single road stands out.
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 Royalston 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.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| SR-140 | 2 |
| SR-119 | 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 |
Royalston at a glance
| Population | 1,291 |
| Land area | 41.8 sq mi |
| Density | 31 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01368) | $102,500 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01368) | $344,014 |
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 Royalston
How common are truck crashes in Royalston?
Worcester County has had 3,757 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,623 people and killing 63.
When do most truck crashes happen in Royalston?
Truck crashes in Worcester County peak in August, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Royalston?
Garbage trucks were involved in 148 reported crashes in Worcester County since 2015 (3.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Royalston compared with Massachusetts?
The yearly rate is 35.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Worcester County, vs 22.9 for Massachusetts.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Royalston?
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.