Penobscot County, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Penobscot County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Penobscot County compares with Maine
Penobscot County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Penobscot County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Penobscot County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.0 | 57.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 46% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.73 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 3.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 24.9% | 20.2% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.1% | 26.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.5% | 20.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 51.8% | 48.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 23.5% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Penobscot County sits below Maine on deaths per 100 crashes. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Penobscot County: I-95 most fatal truck crashes in Penobscot County: 2 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,066 crashes involving commercial trucks in Penobscot County since 2015: 771 people were injured and 15 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 12.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 6.3%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 51.8% of truck crashes, vs 48.2% for Maine.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.6% of truck crashes.
24.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 20.2% across Maine.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-95 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). It is followed by Beans Mills Rd (1), Cedar Lake Rd (1) and Newburgh Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 37 of the truck crashes here, or 3.5%, compared with 3.4% in Maine.
Their busiest month is March, with 24% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.1, vs 1.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Penobscot County fleets
- Build extra time into February 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.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Penobscot County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 24.9% of truck crashes here, more than Maine; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Penobscot County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Penobscot County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 2 |
| Beans Mills Rd | 1 |
| Cedar Lake Rd | 1 |
| Newburgh Rd | 1 |
| SR-116 | 1 |
| SR-15B | 1 |
| US-1A | 1 |
| US-202 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Penobscot County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 417 |
| Main Rd | 49 |
| Broadway | 24 |
| Main St | 23 |
| Hammond St | 16 |
| Parking Lot | 14 |
| Western Av | 14 |
| Airline Rd | 13 |
Penobscot County at a glance
| Population | 156,840 |
| Land area | 3,397.2 sq mi |
| Density | 46 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $68,695 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Penobscot 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 | 77 | — | 2.4 |
| 2000s | 87 | +13% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 89 | +2% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 89 | +1% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 77 to 89. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Penobscot County
ZIP codes in Penobscot County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Penobscot County
How common are truck crashes in Penobscot County?
1,066 truck crashes have been reported in Penobscot County since 2015, with 15 deaths and 771 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Penobscot County?
I-95 had 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Penobscot County since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Penobscot County?
The worst month is February: 12.9% of truck crashes in Penobscot County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Penobscot County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 37 reported crashes in Penobscot County since 2015 (3.5% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Penobscot County compared with Maine?
The yearly rate is 59.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Penobscot County, vs 57.4 for Maine.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Penobscot County?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.