Highlands, NY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Highlands: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Highlands and Orange County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Orange County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Orange County compares with New York State
Orange 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 Orange County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2022) | Orange County | New York State | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 65.2 | 28.0 | 49.7 | 2.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.73 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.9% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.0% | 25.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.1% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.9% | 41.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.4% | 22.1% | 24.8% | same |
Orange County has lower values than New York for injuries per crash, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above New York on crashes per 100k residents / yr.
Highlands at a glance: US-9W 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Highlands.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,371 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Orange County. They injured 1,372 people and killed 48.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Highlands since 2015, this page uses Orange County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
96% of truck crash reports in Orange County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 9.3% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.9% of truck crashes, vs 41.8% for New York.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 7.9% of truck crashes.
5.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.4% across New York.
Where crashes happen
US-9W leads within 10 miles of Highlands with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-32 (2), I-87 (1) and SR-300 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
82 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (New York: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is January, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.1, vs 2.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Highlands fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along US-9W; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Orange County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-9W | 3 |
| SR-32 | 2 |
| I-87 | 1 |
| SR-300 | 1 |
| US-9 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Orange County) |
|---|---|
| I-87 | 7 |
| I-84 | 7 |
| SR-17 | 6 |
| Ackerman Rd | 1 |
| Cross Road | 1 |
| Exit 16 Sr 17 E To I 87 | 1 |
| Exit 39 I 84 Eb To Us Rte 9W | 1 |
| SR-17A | 1 |
Highlands at a glance
| Population | 12,703 |
| Land area | 30.4 sq mi |
| Density | 418 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Orange 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 | 118 | — | 3.7 |
| 2000s | 163 | +38% | 5.3 |
| 2010s | 248 | +52% | 3.9 |
| 2020s | 246 | -1% | 5.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 118 a year in the 1990s and 246 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 3.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Highlands
How many truck accidents are there in Highlands?
Orange County has had 2,371 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,372 people and killing 48.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Highlands?
NHTSA data shows US-9W with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Highlands since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Highlands?
Truck crashes in Orange County peak in June, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Highlands?
82 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Orange County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Highlands compare with New York?
Orange County records 65.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 28.0 across New York.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Highlands?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
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.