Garfield Heights, OH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Garfield Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Garfield Heights and Cuyahoga County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cuyahoga County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Cuyahoga County compares with Ohio
Cuyahoga County against Ohio and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cuyahoga County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cuyahoga County | Ohio | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.9 | 50.8 | 49.7 | 37% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 26% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.4% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.0% | 21.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.4% | 18.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 42.3% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.6% | 25.8% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Cuyahoga County sits below Ohio on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Garfield Heights: 1.9× yearly fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Garfield Heights: 4.5 in 2016–19, 8.4 in 2020–24.
Overview
Police reported 4,613 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cuyahoga County since 2015: 2,960 people were injured and 108 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Garfield Heights had 99 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cuyahoga County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.6% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.6%).
November through March accounts for 42.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.3% in Ohio.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
9.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 7.8% across Ohio.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Garfield Heights is I-480, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-90 (8), I-271 (7) and I-77 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 164 of the truck crashes here, or 3.6%, compared with 2.5% in Ohio.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (14% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.4, vs 2.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Garfield Heights fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-480; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cuyahoga County.
- Morning starts matter: 24.0% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Ohio.
- With 9.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Ohio), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cuyahoga County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-480 | 9 |
| I-90 | 8 |
| I-271 | 7 |
| I-77 | 4 |
| US-322 | 3 |
| I-71 | 2 |
| SR-176 | 2 |
| CR-128 Chamberlin Rd | 1 |
| CR-13 Woodland Ave | 1 |
| CR-23 Cedar Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cuyahoga County) |
|---|---|
| Ir 90 | 551 |
| Ir 480 | 399 |
| Ir 80 | 326 |
| Ir 271 | 228 |
| Ir 77 | 185 |
| Ir 71 | 159 |
| Broadway Av | 81 |
| US-422 | 55 |
Garfield Heights at a glance
| Population | 29,014 |
| Land area | 7.2 sq mi |
| Density | 4,013 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 44125) | $57,363 |
| Median home value (ZIP 44125) | $115,598 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cuyahoga 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 | 45 | — | 6.7 |
| 2000s | 272 | +504% | 5.6 |
| 2010s | 419 | +54% | 5.4 |
| 2020s | 328 | -22% | 9.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 45 to 328. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 6.5 a year in 2016–19, 9.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Garfield Heights
How common are truck crashes in Garfield Heights?
Since 2015, 4,613 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Cuyahoga County (2,960 injured, 108 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Garfield Heights?
NHTSA data shows I-480 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Garfield Heights since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Garfield Heights?
January has the most truck crashes in Cuyahoga County, 10.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Garfield Heights?
Since 2015, Cuyahoga County has reported 164 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.6% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Garfield Heights compare with Ohio?
The yearly rate is 31.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cuyahoga County, vs 50.8 for Ohio.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Garfield Heights?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.