Carmel, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carmel: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carmel 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.
What stands out in Penobscot County: March more garbage-truck crashes happen in March than in any other month (24%).
Overview
Police reported 1,066 crashes involving commercial trucks in Penobscot County since 2015: 771 people were injured and 15 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
With 66 truck crashes reported in Carmel since 2015, this page uses Penobscot County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 12.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 6.3%.
November through March accounts for 51.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.2% in 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
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Carmel since 2015: I-95 (2), Newburgh Rd (1) and US-202 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
37 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (Maine: 3.4%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (24%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 6.1 deaths compared with 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Carmel fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Penobscot County.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- 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
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 Penobscot County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 2 |
| Newburgh Rd | 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 |
Carmel at a glance
| Population | 2,999 |
| Land area | 36.7 sq mi |
| Density | 82 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04419) | $82,188 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04419) | $243,408 |
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. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carmel
How many truck accidents are there in Carmel?
1,066 truck crashes have been reported in Penobscot County since 2015, with 15 deaths and 771 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Carmel?
February has the most truck crashes in Penobscot County, 12.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Carmel?
37 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Penobscot County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Carmel compare with Maine for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 59.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Penobscot County, vs 57.4 for Maine.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Carmel?
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.