Erie County, NY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Erie 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
1.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Erie County compares with New York State
Erie County against New York State and the US, 2015–2022 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Erie County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2022) | Erie County | New York State | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.1 | 28.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 45% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.73 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 40% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.9% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.3% | 25.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.0% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.9% | 41.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.0% | 22.1% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Compared with New York, Erie County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above New York on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Erie County: I-90 deadliest road: 8 fatal truck crashes in Erie County since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,300 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Erie County. They injured 1,783 people and killed 43.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.9% of truck crashes, vs 41.8% for New York.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
13.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.4% across New York.
Where crashes happen
I-90 leads in Erie County with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-20 (6), SR-33 (4) and SR-16 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 75 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 3.6% across New York.
Their busiest month is April, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 1.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Erie County fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Erie County.
- Check whether your routes use I-90, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 13.9% of truck crashes here, more than New York; 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023, 2024 and 2025; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Erie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Erie County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 8 |
| US-20 | 6 |
| SR-33 | 4 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| I-290 | 2 |
| SR-130 | 2 |
| SR-78 | 2 |
| CR-227 Boston State Rd | 1 |
| CR-290 Wehrle Dr | 1 |
| CR-33 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Erie County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 16 |
| Fillmore | 2 |
| I-290 | 2 |
| Abbott Rd At Berg Rd | 1 |
| Broadway | 1 |
| Eastbound I-90 | 1 |
| Fillmore Ave. | 1 |
| George Urban | 1 |
Erie County at a glance
| Population | 950,602 |
| Land area | 1,042.8 sq mi |
| Density | 912 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $77,226 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Erie 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 | 186 | — | 8.1 |
| 2000s | 234 | +26% | 4.9 |
| 2010s | 343 | +46% | 4.2 |
| 2020s | 360 | +5% | 4.8 |
In the 1990s about 186 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 360. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.5 a year in 2016–19, 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Erie County
ZIP codes in Erie County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Erie County
How many truck crashes happen in Erie County?
3,300 truck crashes have been reported in Erie County since 2015, with 43 deaths and 1,783 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Erie County?
Since 2015, I-90 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Erie County: 8.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Erie County?
The worst month is January: 10.9% of truck crashes in Erie County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Erie County?
Since 2015, Erie County has reported 75 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Erie County compare with New York?
The yearly rate is 40.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Erie County, vs 28.0 for New York.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Erie 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.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023, 2024 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.