Damascus, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Damascus: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Damascus and Montgomery County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Montgomery County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Montgomery County compares with Maryland
Montgomery County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Montgomery County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Montgomery County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.8 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 55% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.8% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 2.4% | 6.2% | 19% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 24.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.9% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.1% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Montgomery County has lower values than Maryland for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
Damascus at a glance: 1.7× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of Damascus (1.8 → 3.0).
Overview
Since 2015, 3,957 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Montgomery County. They injured 2,079 people and killed 38.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 4 truck crashes reported in Damascus since 2015, this page uses Montgomery County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
87% of truck crash reports in Montgomery County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 9.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.1% of truck crashes, vs 40.4% for Maryland.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
1.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.4% across Maryland.
Where crashes happen
I-70 leads within 10 miles of Damascus with 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-270 (5), SR-27 (2) and Ashbury Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
190 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.8% share (Maryland: 3.1%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (12%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.2, vs 1.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Damascus fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Montgomery County.
- Check whether your routes use I-70, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Montgomery County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 7 |
| I-270 | 5 |
| SR-27 | 2 |
| Ashbury Dr | 1 |
| CR-212 Shady Grove Rd | 1 |
| CR-3283 | 1 |
| CR-4139 Wightman Rd | 1 |
| I-97 | 1 |
| Mu293 Pullman Ct | 1 |
| SR-200 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Montgomery County) |
|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 851 |
| Eisenhower Memorial Hwy | 456 |
| Georgia Ave | 92 |
| Shady Grove Rd | 83 |
| Frederick Rd | 82 |
| Acrs Marked Off Road | 75 |
| New Hampshire Ave | 72 |
| Rockville Pike | 55 |
Damascus at a glance
| Land area | 14.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 20872) | $141,050 |
| Median home value (ZIP 20872) | $505,392 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Montgomery 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 | 177 | — | 3.7 |
| 2000s | 206 | +17% | 3.6 |
| 2010s | 262 | +27% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 354 | +35% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 177 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 354. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Damascus
How common are truck crashes in Damascus?
3,957 truck crashes have been reported in Montgomery County since 2015, with 38 deaths and 2,079 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Damascus?
I-70 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Damascus since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Damascus?
The worst month is December: 9.6% of truck crashes in Montgomery County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Damascus?
190 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Montgomery County since 2015, 4.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Damascus compare with Maryland?
The yearly rate is 31.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Montgomery County, vs 49.3 for Maryland.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Damascus?
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.