Shrewsbury, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shrewsbury: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Shrewsbury 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 sits below Massachusetts 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.
Shrewsbury at a glance: I-90 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Shrewsbury since 2015.
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 103 truck crashes were reported in Shrewsbury 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%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.7% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across Massachusetts.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 9.3% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-90 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). It is followed by I-290 (3), I-495 (3) and US-20 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 148 of the truck crashes here, or 3.9%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (14% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.5, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Shrewsbury fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Worcester County.
- 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.
- 9.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Massachusetts; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 6 |
| I-290 | 3 |
| I-495 | 3 |
| US-20 | 3 |
| Ernest Ave | 1 |
| Kelly Square | 1 |
| Paul Tivnan Drive | 1 |
| Pleasant St | 1 |
| SR-110 | 1 |
| SR-12 | 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 |
Shrewsbury at a glance
| Population | 39,620 |
| Land area | 20.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,910 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01545) | $139,302 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01545) | $592,853 |
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 large-truck crashes: 5.2 a year in 2016–19, 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Shrewsbury
How common are truck crashes in Shrewsbury?
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 Shrewsbury?
NHTSA data shows I-90 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Shrewsbury since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Shrewsbury?
August has the most truck crashes in Worcester County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Shrewsbury?
Garbage trucks were involved in 148 reported crashes in Worcester County since 2015 (3.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Shrewsbury 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 Shrewsbury?
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.