Van Buren, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Van Buren: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Van Buren and Aroostook County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Aroostook County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 607 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Aroostook County compares with Maine
Aroostook County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Aroostook County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Aroostook County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 78.6 | 57.4 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 49% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 37.8% | 20.2% | 6.2% | 1.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.5% | 26.5% | 23.7% | 19% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.8% | 20.8% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 53.7% | 48.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 26.3% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Compared with Maine, Aroostook County is lower on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Aroostook County: 37.8% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 20.2% in Maine.
Overview
Aroostook County has recorded 607 truck crashes since 2015, with 331 people injured and 18 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
Only 6 truck crashes were reported in Van Buren since 2015; patterns below come from Aroostook County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (13.7% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.6%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 53.7% of truck crashes, vs 48.2% for Maine.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 8.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 37.8% of truck crashes, compared with 20.2% in Maine.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Van Buren happened on US-1A (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 11 of the truck crashes here, or 1.8%, compared with 3.4% in Maine.
Route planning tips for Van Buren fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 37.8% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Maine), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Aroostook County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-1A | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Aroostook County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 67 |
| US-1 | 40 |
| Main St | 39 |
| Houlton Rd | 30 |
| Caribou Rd | 22 |
| State Highway 11 | 18 |
| Masardis Rd | 16 |
| Van Buren Rd | 15 |
Van Buren at a glance
| Population | 1,999 |
| Land area | 4.3 sq mi |
| Density | 462 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04785) | $41,528 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04785) | $116,998 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Aroostook 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 | 44 | — | 2.4 |
| 2000s | 54 | +24% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 50 | -9% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 50 | +0% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 44 to 50. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Van Buren
How many truck accidents are there in Van Buren?
607 truck crashes have been reported in Aroostook County since 2015, with 18 deaths and 331 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Van Buren?
February has the most truck crashes in Aroostook County, 13.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Van Buren?
11 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Aroostook County since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Van Buren compared with Maine?
Per 100,000 residents, Aroostook County has 78.6 truck crashes a year; Maine has 57.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Van Buren?
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.