Union, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Union: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Union and Knox County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Knox County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 181 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Knox County compares with Maine
Knox County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Knox County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Knox County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.6 | 57.4 | 49.7 | 36% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 11% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.7% | 20.2% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.7% | 26.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.2% | 20.8% | 13.8% | 27% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.4% | 48.2% | 41.9% | 18% below the state |
| After dark | 11.5% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 40% below the state |
Knox County sits below Maine on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Maine on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
Knox County at a glance: 4.2 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.6 in Maine.
Overview
Since 2015, 181 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Knox County. They injured 109 people and killed 7.
That averages about one truck crash every 24 days in fully reported years.
With 12 truck crashes reported in Union since 2015, this page uses Knox County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (12.2% of the year) and are lowest in September (5.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.4% of truck crashes, vs 48.2% for Maine.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (10.5%).
12.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 20.2% across Maine.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Union since 2015: SR-1 (1), SR-17 (1), SR-220 (1), Sr- 17 Heald Hwy (1) and US-1 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 6 crashes, 3.3% of the total, against 3.4% across Maine.
Route planning tips for Union fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 29.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Maine.
- 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 Knox County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-1 | 1 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
| SR-220 | 1 |
| Sr- 17 Heald Hwy | 1 |
| US-1 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Knox County) |
|---|---|
| Augusta Rd | 12 |
| Main St | 12 |
| Camden Rd | 10 |
| Atlantic Hwy | 10 |
| Heald Hwy | 8 |
| Commercial St | 7 |
| Old County Rd | 7 |
| West St | 6 |
Union at a glance
| Population | 2,437 |
| Land area | 32.2 sq mi |
| Density | 76 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04862) | $73,536 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04862) | $252,340 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Knox 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 | 12 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 13 | +11% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 17 | +26% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 13 | -25% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 12 a year in the 1990s and 13 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Union
How many truck accidents are there in Union?
Knox County has had 181 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 109 people and killing 7.
When do most truck crashes happen in Union?
The worst month is October: 12.2% of truck crashes in Knox County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Union?
Since 2015, Knox County has reported 6 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Union compared with Maine?
The yearly rate is 36.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Knox County, vs 57.4 for Maine.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Union?
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.