Worcester, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Worcester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 0.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Worcester compares with Massachusetts
Worcester against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Worcester stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Worcester | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.4 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.8 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 60% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.8% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.0% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 24% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.0% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.2% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 22% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.9% | 19.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Massachusetts, Worcester is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Massachusetts on crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
Worcester at a glance: I-90 10 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 15 miles of Worcester.
Overview
Police reported 836 crashes involving commercial trucks in Worcester since 2015: 325 people were injured and 7 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 6.9%.
November through March accounts for 42.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 9.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 5.0% 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 (10). It is followed by US-20 (6), I-495 (4) and I-290 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 44 of the truck crashes here, or 5.3%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
Their busiest month is October, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.3, vs 0.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Worcester fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-90; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: October is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Worcester.
- 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
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 10 |
| US-20 | 6 |
| I-495 | 4 |
| I-290 | 3 |
| Central Tpke | 1 |
| Dudley Rd | 1 |
| Ernest Ave | 1 |
| I-190 | 1 |
| Kelly Square | 1 |
| Paul Tivnan Drive | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Worcester) |
|---|---|
| Cambridge St | 49 |
| Hammond St | 26 |
| Southwest Cutoff | 25 |
| Webster St | 18 |
| Belmont St | 10 |
| Grafton St | 9 |
| Cambridge Street | 9 |
| Main St | 9 |
Worcester at a glance
| Population | 211,286 |
| Land area | 37.4 sq mi |
| Density | 5,655 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Worcester 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 | 20 | — | 6.7 |
| 2000s | 47 | +135% | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 64 | +36% | 5.3 |
| 2020s | 81 | +26% | 4.8 |
In the 1990s about 20 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 81. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Worcester
How common are truck crashes in Worcester?
836 truck crashes have been reported in Worcester since 2015, with 7 deaths and 325 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Worcester?
I-90 had 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Worcester since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Worcester?
The worst month is January: 10.6% of truck crashes in Worcester happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Worcester?
Garbage trucks were involved in 44 reported crashes in Worcester since 2015 (5.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Worcester compare with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Worcester has 32.4 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Worcester?
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.