Tonawanda, NY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Tonawanda: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Tonawanda 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 runs above New York on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Tonawanda: I-90 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Tonawanda since 2015.
Overview
Erie County has recorded 3,300 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,783 people injured and 43 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 5 truck crashes reported in Tonawanda since 2015, this page uses Erie County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
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%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 13.9% of truck crashes, compared with 9.4% in New York.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-90 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come I-290 (2), I-190 (1) and Lathrop St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 75 of the truck crashes here, or 2.3%, compared with 3.6% in New York.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (13% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.5, vs 1.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Tonawanda fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-90 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 13.9% of truck crashes here, more than New York; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 4 |
| I-290 | 2 |
| I-190 | 1 |
| Lathrop St | 1 |
| Lockport Rd | 1 |
| SR-130 | 1 |
| SR-265 | 1 |
| SR-324 | 1 |
| SR-425 | 1 |
| SR-78 | 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 |
Tonawanda at a glance
| Population | 14,984 |
| Land area | 3.8 sq mi |
| Density | 3,940 per sq mi |
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.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Tonawanda
How many truck crashes happen in Tonawanda?
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 Tonawanda?
NHTSA data shows I-90 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Tonawanda since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Tonawanda?
January has the most truck crashes in Erie County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Tonawanda?
Since 2015, Erie County has reported 75 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Tonawanda compare with New York for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 40.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Erie County, vs 28.0 for New York.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Tonawanda?
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.