Charles County, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Charles County: 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
2.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Charles County compares with Maryland
Charles County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Charles County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Charles County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.3 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 28% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.53 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.5% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.6% | 2.4% | 6.2% | 33% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.6% | 24.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.7% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 8% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.3% | 40.4% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 19.8% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 22% below the state |
Charles County has lower values than Maryland for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Maryland on deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Charles County: 1 in 18 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 5.5%, vs 3.1% in Maryland.
Overview
Police reported 710 crashes involving commercial trucks in Charles County since 2015: 364 people were injured and 23 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 6 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 11.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 5.9%.
November through March accounts for 37.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.4% in Maryland.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (8.9%).
Road surface: 1.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maryland: 2.4%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-301 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). After it: SR-5 (3), SR-234 (2) and SR-6 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
39 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.5% share (Maryland: 3.1%).
Their busiest month is October, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.7 deaths compared with 3.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Charles County fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along US-301; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Charles County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Charles County) |
|---|---|
| US-301 | 4 |
| SR-5 | 3 |
| SR-234 | 2 |
| SR-6 | 2 |
| CR-50 Middletown Rd | 1 |
| CR-6 | 1 |
| SR-231 | 1 |
| Sr-5Bu Leonardtown Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Charles County) |
|---|---|
| Crain Hwy | 170 |
| Leonardtown Rd | 81 |
| Billingsley Rd | 25 |
| Prince Frederick Rd | 23 |
| Mattawoman Beantown Rd | 23 |
| St Charles Pkwy | 20 |
| Charles St | 13 |
| Berry Rd | 13 |
Charles County at a glance
| Population | 174,478 |
| Land area | 457.8 sq mi |
| Density | 381 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $125,334 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Charles 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 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 46 | +38% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 48 | +3% | 1.6 |
| 2020s | 70 | +46% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 34 to 70. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Charles County
ZIP codes in Charles County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Charles County
How many truck crashes happen in Charles County?
Since 2015, 710 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Charles County (364 injured, 23 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Charles County?
US-301 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Charles County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Charles County?
Truck crashes in Charles County peak in October, with 11.1% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Charles County?
Since 2015, Charles County has reported 39 garbage-truck crashes, or 5.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Charles County compare with Maryland for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Charles County has 35.3 truck crashes a year; Maryland has 49.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Charles County?
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.