Chelsea, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chelsea: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chelsea and Kennebec County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Kennebec 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 1.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Kennebec County compares with Maine
Kennebec County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Kennebec County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Kennebec County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.8 | 57.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 27% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.7% | 20.2% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.3% | 26.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.4% | 20.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.9% | 48.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.2% | 19.1% | 24.8% | same |
Kennebec County has lower values than Maine for deaths per 100 crashes. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Chelsea: I-95 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Chelsea.
Overview
Police reported 854 crashes involving commercial trucks in Kennebec County since 2015: 471 people were injured and 20 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
With 22 truck crashes reported in Chelsea since 2015, this page uses Kennebec County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.1% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.9%).
November through March accounts for 49.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.2% in Maine.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (10.0%).
Road surface: 19.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maine: 20.2%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Chelsea is I-95, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-27 (1) and Windsor Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 41 of the truck crashes here, or 4.8%, compared with 3.4% in Maine.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (20%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 1.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Chelsea fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-95 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Kennebec County.
- 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 Kennebec County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 3 |
| SR-27 | 1 |
| Windsor Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Kennebec County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 241 |
| Main St | 32 |
| Water St | 22 |
| Western Ave | 21 |
| Kennedy Memorial Dr | 20 |
| US-202 | 17 |
| I-295 | 15 |
| N Belfast Ave | 13 |
Chelsea at a glance
| Population | 2,829 |
| Land area | 19.5 sq mi |
| Density | 145 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04346) | $66,574 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04346) | $176,006 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Kennebec 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 | 58 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 66 | +13% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 62 | -6% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 70 | +13% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 58 to 70. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chelsea
How many truck accidents are there in Chelsea?
854 truck crashes have been reported in Kennebec County since 2015, with 20 deaths and 471 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Chelsea?
I-95 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Chelsea since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chelsea?
The worst month is January: 13.1% of truck crashes in Kennebec County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chelsea?
41 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Kennebec County since 2015, 4.8% of all truck crashes.
How does Chelsea compare with Maine for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Kennebec County has 55.8 truck crashes a year; Maine has 57.4.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chelsea?
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.