Scotia, NY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Scotia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Scotia and Schenectady County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Schenectady 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 0.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Schenectady County compares with New York State
Schenectady 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 Schenectady County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2022) | Schenectady County | New York State | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.9 | 28.0 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.6 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 70% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.73 | 0.49 | 48% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.1% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.0% | 25.1% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.0% | 17.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 41.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.2% | 22.1% | 24.8% | same |
Schenectady County sits below New York on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Schenectady County: +117% change in yearly reported truck crashes from the 2000s (29) to the 2010s (63).
Overview
Police reported 576 crashes involving commercial trucks in Schenectady County since 2015: 229 people were injured and 5 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Scotia since 2015; patterns below come from Schenectady County as a whole.
96% of truck crash reports in Schenectady County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (10.6% of the year) and are lowest in March (6.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.4% of truck crashes, against 41.8% across New York.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (9.7%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 11.1% of truck crashes, compared with 9.4% in New York.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Scotia since 2015: I-90 (2), SR-5 (2), Hubbs Rd (1) and SR-7 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 24 crashes, 4.2% of the total, against 3.6% across New York.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in December (21%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 0.6 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Scotia fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Schenectady County.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Schenectady County.
- 11.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above New York; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 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 Schenectady County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 2 |
| SR-5 | 2 |
| Hubbs Rd | 1 |
| SR-7 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Schenectady County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 4 |
| Glenridge Rd. | 2 |
| Crosstown & Watt St | 1 |
| Glenridge Road | 1 |
Scotia at a glance
| Population | 7,321 |
| Land area | 1.7 sq mi |
| Density | 4,337 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Schenectady 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 | 25 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 29 | +16% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 63 | +117% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 61 | -3% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 25 to 61. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Scotia
How many truck accidents are there in Scotia?
Since 2015, 576 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Schenectady County (229 injured, 5 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Scotia?
The worst month is January: 10.6% of truck crashes in Schenectady County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Scotia?
24 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Schenectady County since 2015, 4.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Scotia compare with New York?
Per 100,000 residents, Schenectady County has 40.9 truck crashes a year; New York has 28.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Scotia?
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.