Kensington, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kensington: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kensington 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 sits below Maryland on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Montgomery County: 1 in 21 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.8%, vs 3.1% in Maryland.
Overview
Montgomery County has recorded 3,957 truck crashes since 2015, with 2,079 people injured and 38 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Kensington had 7 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Montgomery County numbers.
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%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.1% of truck crashes, against 40.4% across Maryland.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.4%).
Road surface: 1.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maryland: 2.4%).
Where crashes happen
I-95 leads within 10 miles of Kensington with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-495 (9), SR-190 (2) and SR-193 (2).
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%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.2 deaths compared with 1.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Kensington fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-95, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Montgomery County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 10 |
| I-495 | 9 |
| SR-190 | 2 |
| SR-193 | 2 |
| SR-200 | 2 |
| SR-410 | 2 |
| 21st St Nw | 1 |
| 7th St Nw | 1 |
| Bladensburg Rd Ne | 1 |
| CR-124 Arcola Ave | 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 |
Kensington at a glance
| Population | 2,155 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 4,284 per sq mi |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 177 a year in the 1990s and 354 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Kensington
How many truck accidents are there in Kensington?
Montgomery County has had 3,957 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,079 people and killing 38.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Kensington?
I-95 had 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Kensington since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Kensington?
Truck crashes in Montgomery County peak in December, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Kensington?
Garbage trucks were involved in 190 reported crashes in Montgomery County since 2015 (4.8% of truck crashes).
How does Kensington compare with Maryland for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 31.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Montgomery County, vs 49.3 for Maryland.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Kensington?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.