Amherst, NY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Amherst: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Amherst and Erie County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Erie County numbers.
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 |
Erie County sits below New York on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Amherst at a glance: 2.7× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 15 miles of Amherst (1.8 → 4.8).
Overview
Since 2015, 3,300 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Erie County. They injured 1,783 people and killed 43.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 6 truck crashes were reported in Amherst since 2015; patterns below come from Erie County as a whole.
97% of truck crash reports in Erie County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.1%.
November through March accounts for 43.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.8% in New York.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (7.9%).
13.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.4% across New York.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Amherst since 2015 were spread across roads: I-90 (4), SR-33 (4), US-20 (3), I-290 (2) and SR-130 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 75 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 3.6% across New York.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (13%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.5 deaths compared with 1.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Amherst fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 was incomplete in 2023, 2024 and 2025, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
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 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 4 |
| SR-33 | 4 |
| US-20 | 3 |
| I-290 | 2 |
| SR-130 | 2 |
| SR-425 | 2 |
| SR-78 | 2 |
| CR-14 Beattie Ave | 1 |
| CR-19 Stone Rd | 1 |
| CR-290 Wehrle Dr | 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 |
Amherst at a glance
| Population | 130,862 |
| Land area | 53.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,460 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 14068) | $98,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 14068) | $365,764 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 186 to 360. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.5 a year in 2016–19, 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Amherst
How common are truck crashes in Amherst?
Since 2015, 3,300 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Erie County (1,783 injured, 43 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Amherst?
January has the most truck crashes in Erie County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Amherst?
75 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Erie County since 2015, 2.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Amherst compared with New York?
Erie County records 40.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 28.0 across New York.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Amherst?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
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.