Frederick, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Frederick: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Frederick and Frederick County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Frederick County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
10.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Frederick County compares with Maryland
Frederick County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Frederick County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Frederick County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.2 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 21% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.7% | 2.4% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.6% | 24.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.6% | 13.8% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.5% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.8% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Maryland, Frederick County is lower on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Frederick at a glance: I-70 deadliest road: 9 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Frederick since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 2,133 crashes involving commercial trucks in Frederick County since 2015: 974 people were injured and 60 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 92 truck crashes were reported in Frederick since 2015; patterns below come from Frederick County as a whole.
84% of truck crash reports in Frederick County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 7.2%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.5% of truck crashes, against 40.4% across Maryland.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maryland: 2.4%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Frederick is I-70, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come US-15 (6), SR-85 (2) and CR-123 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 50 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 3.1% across Maryland.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (14% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 10.2 deaths compared with 2.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Frederick fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-70, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- Morning starts matter: 26.6% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Maryland.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 2.7% of truck crashes here, more than Maryland; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Frederick County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 9 |
| US-15 | 6 |
| SR-85 | 2 |
| CR-123 | 1 |
| SR-194 | 1 |
| SR-26 | 1 |
| SR-80 | 1 |
| Sr- 26 Liberty Rd | 1 |
| US-40 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Frederick County) |
|---|---|
| Eisenhower Memorial Hwy | 465 |
| Balto National Pike | 222 |
| Catoctin Mountain Hwy | 174 |
| Liberty Rd | 71 |
| Jefferson National Pike | 67 |
| Buckeystown Pike | 65 |
| Green Valley Rd | 59 |
| Frederick Freeway | 57 |
Frederick at a glance
| Population | 89,537 |
| Land area | 24.0 sq mi |
| Density | 3,737 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Frederick 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 | 78 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 92 | +17% | 3.5 |
| 2010s | 128 | +40% | 3.7 |
| 2020s | 199 | +55% | 5.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 78 to 199. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.5 a year in 2016–19 and 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Frederick
How common are truck crashes in Frederick?
Frederick County has had 2,133 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 974 people and killing 60.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Frederick?
Since 2015, I-70 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Frederick: 9.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Frederick?
The worst month is October: 9.6% of truck crashes in Frederick County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Frederick?
Since 2015, Frederick County has reported 50 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Frederick compare with Maryland for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 61.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Frederick County, vs 49.3 for Maryland.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Frederick?
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.