Essex, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Essex: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Essex and Baltimore County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Baltimore County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Baltimore County compares with Maryland
Baltimore County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Baltimore County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Baltimore County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 56.6 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 15% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.3% | 2.4% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.0% | 24.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 13.8% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.3% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Baltimore County has lower values than Maryland for deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr.
What stands out in Essex: I-95 deadliest road: 9 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Essex since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 5,591 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Baltimore County. They injured 2,751 people and killed 93.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 7 truck crashes reported in Essex since 2015, this page uses Baltimore County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
85% of truck crash reports in Baltimore County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.7% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (7.6%).
November through March accounts for 41.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.4% in Maryland.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (6.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.3% of truck crashes, compared with 2.4% in Maryland.
Where crashes happen
I-95 leads within 10 miles of Essex with 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: US-40 (8), I-695 (5) and SR-151 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 144 crashes, 2.6% of the total, against 3.1% across Maryland.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (12% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.9, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Essex fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-95, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Baltimore County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 9 |
| US-40 | 8 |
| I-695 | 5 |
| SR-151 | 3 |
| Mu-1370 | 2 |
| SR-7 | 2 |
| CR-3739 | 1 |
| CR-5132 | 1 |
| CR-5560 | 1 |
| Eastern Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Baltimore County) |
|---|---|
| Balto Beltway | 1,036 |
| J F K Memorial Hwy | 437 |
| No Name | 296 |
| Harrisburg Expwy | 284 |
| Balto Beltway (Inner Loop) | 277 |
| Pulaski Hwy | 130 |
| Acrs Marked Off Road | 78 |
| North Point Blvd | 70 |
Essex at a glance
| Land area | 9.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 21221) | $67,340 |
| Median home value (ZIP 21221) | $269,313 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Baltimore 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 | 232 | — | 5.8 |
| 2000s | 294 | +27% | 6.6 |
| 2010s | 364 | +24% | 6.2 |
| 2020s | 523 | +44% | 6.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 232 to 523. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 7.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Essex
How common are truck crashes in Essex?
Baltimore County has had 5,591 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,751 people and killing 93.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Essex?
NHTSA data shows I-95 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Essex since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Essex?
October has the most truck crashes in Baltimore County, 9.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Essex?
144 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Baltimore County since 2015, 2.6% of all truck crashes.
How does Essex compare with Maryland for truck crashes?
Baltimore County records 56.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 49.3 across Maryland.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Essex?
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.