Westminster, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Westminster: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Westminster and Carroll County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Carroll County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Carroll County compares with Maryland
Carroll County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carroll County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Carroll County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.2 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 18% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 21% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.2% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.5% | 2.4% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.4% | 24.7% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.9% | 13.8% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.4% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.0% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Compared with Maryland, Carroll County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Carroll County: 1 in 19 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 5.2%, vs 3.1% in Maryland.
Overview
Since 2015, 833 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Carroll County. They injured 360 people and killed 27.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
Westminster had 44 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Carroll County numbers.
85% of truck crash reports in Carroll 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, 10.6% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (7.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.4% for Maryland.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maryland: 2.4%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-140 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come SR-27 (3), CR-142 (1) and SR-26 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 44 crashes, 5.3% of the total, against 3.1% across Maryland.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in November (20% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.4 deaths compared with 3.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Westminster fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-140; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 28.4% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Maryland; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Carroll County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-140 | 4 |
| SR-27 | 3 |
| CR-142 | 1 |
| SR-26 | 1 |
| SR-30 | 1 |
| SR-31 | 1 |
| SR-32 | 1 |
| SR-7 | 1 |
| SR-75 | 1 |
| SR-91 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carroll County) |
|---|---|
| Baltimore Blvd | 113 |
| Ridge Rd | 65 |
| Liberty Rd | 56 |
| Littlestown Pike | 43 |
| Sykesville Rd | 33 |
| Hanover Pike | 30 |
| Francis Scott Key Hwy | 15 |
| Balto National Pike | 15 |
Westminster at a glance
| Population | 20,662 |
| Land area | 6.8 sq mi |
| Density | 3,055 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 21157) | $104,966 |
| Median home value (ZIP 21157) | $424,017 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carroll 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 | 34 | — | 2.3 |
| 2000s | 50 | +44% | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 57 | +15% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 75 | +32% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 34 to 75. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Westminster
How many truck crashes happen in Westminster?
Carroll County has had 833 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 360 people and killing 27.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Westminster?
Since 2015, SR-140 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Westminster: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Westminster?
The worst month is October: 10.6% of truck crashes in Carroll County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Westminster?
Since 2015, Carroll County has reported 44 garbage-truck crashes, or 5.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Westminster compare with Maryland for truck crashes?
Carroll County records 40.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 49.3 across Maryland.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Westminster?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.