Ellicott City, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ellicott City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ellicott City and Howard County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Howard County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Howard County compares with Maryland
Howard County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Howard County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Howard County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.9 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 9% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.2% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.5% | 2.4% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.0% | 24.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.5% | 13.8% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.7% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.3% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Howard County has lower values than Maryland for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Maryland on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
The headline for Ellicott City: I-95 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Ellicott City: 16 since 2015.
Overview
Howard County has recorded 2,423 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,016 people injured and 49 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Ellicott City had 41 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Howard County numbers.
87% of truck crash reports in Howard County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (9.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.7% of truck crashes, against 40.4% across Maryland.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 7.1% 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, I-95 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (16). After it: I-70 (6), US-1 (4) and I-695 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
53 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.2% share (Maryland: 3.1%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (13%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Ellicott City fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-95; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Howard County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 16 |
| I-70 | 6 |
| US-1 | 4 |
| I-695 | 3 |
| SR-26 | 3 |
| SR-32 | 3 |
| SR-100 | 2 |
| US-29 | 2 |
| CR-1140 | 1 |
| CR-121 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Howard County) |
|---|---|
| No Name | 1,054 |
| Washington Blvd | 175 |
| Columbia Pike | 61 |
| Sykesville Rd | 53 |
| Patuxent Pkwy | 53 |
| Waterloo Rd | 52 |
| Acrs Marked Off Road | 42 |
| Is95 | 28 |
Ellicott City at a glance
| Land area | 30.0 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Howard 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 | 104 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 116 | +12% | 3.5 |
| 2010s | 174 | +50% | 3.1 |
| 2020s | 219 | +26% | 4.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 104 to 219. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 3.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ellicott City
How many truck crashes happen in Ellicott City?
Howard County has had 2,423 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,016 people and killing 49.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Ellicott City?
NHTSA data shows I-95 with 16 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ellicott City since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ellicott City?
October has the most truck crashes in Howard County, 9.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ellicott City?
53 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Howard County since 2015, 2.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Ellicott City compare with Maryland?
Howard County records 61.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 49.3 across Maryland.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ellicott City?
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.