North Potomac, MD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Potomac: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Potomac 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
Montgomery County at a glance: 1 in 21 crashes involve a garbage truck (190 since 2015), vs 3.1% across Maryland.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,957 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Montgomery County. They injured 2,079 people and killed 38.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
North Potomac had 4 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
December has the most truck crashes, 9.6% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.1% of truck crashes, vs 40.4% for 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
Within this area, I-270 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). It is followed by I-495 (3), SR-190 (2) and SR-355 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 190 of the truck crashes here, or 4.8%, compared with 3.1% in Maryland.
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 North Potomac fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-270 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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
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-270 | 4 |
| I-495 | 3 |
| SR-190 | 2 |
| SR-355 | 2 |
| Ashbury Dr | 1 |
| CR-212 Shady Grove Rd | 1 |
| CR-3283 | 1 |
| CR-4139 Wightman Rd | 1 |
| CR-681 | 1 |
| CR-846 | 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 |
North Potomac at a glance
| Land area | 6.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 20878) | $144,313 |
| Median home value (ZIP 20878) | $720,942 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 177 to 354. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Potomac
How many truck crashes happen in North Potomac?
Since 2015, 3,957 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Montgomery County (2,079 injured, 38 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in North Potomac?
Since 2015, I-270 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of North Potomac: 4.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in North Potomac?
Truck crashes in Montgomery County peak in December, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in North Potomac?
Garbage trucks were involved in 190 reported crashes in Montgomery County since 2015 (4.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in North Potomac compare with Maryland?
Per 100,000 residents, Montgomery County has 31.8 truck crashes a year; Maryland has 49.3.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Potomac?
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.