Bradford, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bradford: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bradford and Penobscot County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Penobscot County numbers.
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 |
Compared with Maine, Penobscot County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above Maine on injuries per crash, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Penobscot County: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 24% of them.
Overview
Penobscot County has recorded 1,066 truck crashes since 2015, with 771 people injured and 15 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Bradford had 8 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Penobscot County numbers.
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.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (8.6%).
Road surface: 24.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maine: 20.2%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Bradford happened on Beans Mills Rd (1) and Sr-Elm Street (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 37 crashes, 3.5% of the total, against 3.4% across Maine.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (24% of them).
They recorded 6.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Bradford fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Penobscot County.
- 24.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Maine; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Beans Mills Rd | 1 |
| Sr-Elm Street | 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 |
Bradford at a glance
| Population | 1,225 |
| Land area | 41.2 sq mi |
| Density | 30 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04410) | $82,955 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04410) | $175,328 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bradford
How common are truck crashes in Bradford?
Penobscot County has had 1,066 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 771 people and killing 15.
When do most truck crashes happen in Bradford?
The worst month is February: 12.9% of truck crashes in Penobscot County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Bradford?
Since 2015, Penobscot County has reported 37 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.5% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Bradford compare with Maine?
Penobscot County records 59.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.4 across Maine.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bradford?
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.