Ithaca, NY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ithaca: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ithaca and Tompkins County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Tompkins County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
18 of 334 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Tompkins County compares with New York State
Tompkins 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 Tompkins County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2022) | Tompkins County | New York State | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.5 | 28.0 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 35% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.73 | 0.49 | 40% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.9% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.9% | 25.1% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.3% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 41.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.0% | 22.1% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
Tompkins County has lower values than New York for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Tompkins County: 15.9% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.4% across New York.
Overview
Tompkins County has recorded 334 truck crashes since 2015, with 154 people injured and 5 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Ithaca since 2015; patterns below come from Tompkins County as a whole.
96% of truck crash reports in Tompkins County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.8% of the year) and are lowest in May (6.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.2% of truck crashes, against 41.8% across New York.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (11.7%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 15.9% of truck crashes, compared with 9.4% in New York.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ithaca since 2015 were spread across roads: N Triphammer Rd (1), SR-13 (1), SR-79 (1) and SR-96 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 18 of the truck crashes here, or 5.4%, compared with 3.6% in New York.
Route planning tips for Ithaca fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Tompkins County.
- 28.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above New York; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 15.9% 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
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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 Tompkins County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| N Triphammer Rd | 1 |
| SR-13 | 1 |
| SR-79 | 1 |
| SR-96 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tompkins County) |
|---|---|
| Buck Rd. | 1 |
| SR-13 | 1 |
| Slaterville Rd | 1 |
Ithaca at a glance
| Population | 33,768 |
| Land area | 5.4 sq mi |
| Density | 6,266 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tompkins 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 | 15 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 20 | +29% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 37 | +88% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 36 | -1% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 15 to 36. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ithaca
How many truck accidents are there in Ithaca?
Since 2015, 334 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Tompkins County (154 injured, 5 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ithaca?
The worst month is July: 10.8% of truck crashes in Tompkins County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ithaca?
18 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Tompkins County since 2015, 5.4% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ithaca compared with New York?
Per 100,000 residents, Tompkins County has 36.5 truck crashes a year; New York has 28.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ithaca?
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.