Palermo, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Palermo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Palermo and Waldo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Waldo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 217 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Waldo County compares with Maine
Waldo County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Waldo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Waldo County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 45.9 | 57.4 | 49.7 | 20% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.9% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.5% | 20.2% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.7% | 26.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.5% | 20.8% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.3% | 48.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.7% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Waldo County has lower values than Maine for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Palermo at a glance: SR-3 deadliest road: 2 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Palermo since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 217 crashes involving commercial trucks in Waldo County since 2015: 113 people were injured and 7 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 20 days in fully reported years.
Only 9 truck crashes were reported in Palermo since 2015; patterns below come from Waldo County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 13.4% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.3% of truck crashes, against 48.2% across Maine.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (10.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 21.5% of truck crashes, compared with 20.2% in Maine.
Where crashes happen
SR-3 leads within 10 miles of Palermo with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-220 (1), Sr-Belfast Augusta Road (1) and Sr-N Palermo Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 11 crashes, 5.1% of the total, against 3.4% across Maine.
Route planning tips for Palermo fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-3 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 31.7% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Maine; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Waldo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-3 | 2 |
| SR-220 | 1 |
| Sr-Belfast Augusta Road | 1 |
| Sr-N Palermo Rd | 1 |
| Turner Ridge Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Waldo County) |
|---|---|
| Atlantic Hwy | 12 |
| E Main St | 11 |
| Belfast Augusta Rd | 8 |
| SR-3 | 7 |
| SR-1 | 7 |
| Belmont Av | 7 |
| Searsport Av | 6 |
| US-1 | 6 |
Palermo at a glance
| Population | 1,631 |
| Land area | 40.6 sq mi |
| Density | 40 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04354) | $89,095 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04354) | $280,868 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Waldo 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 | 10 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 19 | +80% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 18 | -6% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 18 | +5% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 10 a year in the 1990s and 18 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Palermo
How many truck accidents are there in Palermo?
217 truck crashes have been reported in Waldo County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 113 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Palermo?
Since 2015, SR-3 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Palermo: 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Palermo?
Truck crashes in Waldo County peak in January, with 13.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Palermo?
Since 2015, Waldo County has reported 11 garbage-truck crashes, or 5.1% of its truck crashes.
How does Palermo compare with Maine for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 45.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Waldo County, vs 57.4 for Maine.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Palermo?
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.