Canterbury, NH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Canterbury: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Canterbury and Merrimack County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Merrimack County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Merrimack County compares with New Hampshire
Merrimack County against New Hampshire and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Merrimack County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Merrimack County | New Hampshire | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 42.2 | 30.4 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 31% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 23.5% | 20.2% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.8% | 29.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.6% | 22.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.4% | 47.6% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.1% | 16.3% | 24.8% | same |
Merrimack County has lower values than New Hampshire for garbage-truck share. It runs above New Hampshire on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Merrimack County: February the month with the most truck crashes: 12.5% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 761 crashes involving commercial trucks in Merrimack County since 2015: 277 people were injured and 22 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
Only 21 truck crashes were reported in Canterbury since 2015; patterns below come from Merrimack County as a whole.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 12.5% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (6.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.4% of truck crashes, against 47.6% across New Hampshire.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 8.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 23.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (New Hampshire: 20.2%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Canterbury since 2015: SR-106 (2), SR-4 (2), I-93 (1), South Main Street (1) and US-3 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 21 of the truck crashes here, or 2.8%, compared with 4.2% in New Hampshire.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (24% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 3.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Canterbury fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- With 23.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above New Hampshire), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Merrimack County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-106 | 2 |
| SR-4 | 2 |
| I-93 | 1 |
| South Main Street | 1 |
| US-3 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Merrimack County) |
|---|---|
| SR-3A | 9 |
| Dover Rd | 9 |
| N/Everett Tpk | 5 |
| Manchester St | 4 |
| N & Exit 3 | 4 |
| Hooksett Rd | 3 |
| I 89 N Mm 28.6 | 3 |
| I 89 S Mm 21.8 2 Miles N Of Exit 9 | 3 |
Canterbury at a glance
| Population | 2,467 |
| Land area | 43.9 sq mi |
| Density | 56 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 03224) | $138,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 03224) | $438,452 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Merrimack 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 | 33 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 49 | +46% | 1.8 |
| 2010s | 58 | +20% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 64 | +9% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 33 to 64. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Canterbury
How many truck crashes happen in Canterbury?
Since 2015, 761 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Merrimack County (277 injured, 22 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Canterbury?
February has the most truck crashes in Merrimack County, 12.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Canterbury?
Since 2015, Merrimack County has reported 21 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Canterbury compared with New Hampshire?
Merrimack County records 42.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 30.4 across New Hampshire.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Canterbury?
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.