Westerville, OH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Westerville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Westerville and Franklin County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Franklin County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Franklin County compares with Ohio
Franklin County against Ohio and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Franklin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Franklin County | Ohio | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 41.7 | 50.8 | 49.7 | 18% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 32% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 17% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.7% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 52% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 21.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.9% | 18.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.1% | 42.3% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 25.7% | 25.8% | 24.8% | same |
Franklin County sits below Ohio on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Franklin County: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 17% of them.
Overview
Franklin County has recorded 6,716 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,466 people injured and 140 killed.
That averages about 2 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
Westerville had 67 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Franklin County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in March (7.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.1% of truck crashes, vs 42.3% for Ohio.
The busiest hour is 12–1 am, with 8.5% of truck crashes.
3.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 7.8% across Ohio.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-71 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (8). After it: US-23 (6), I-270 (5) and CR-75 Cleveland Ave (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 141 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 2.5% in Ohio.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (17% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.8 deaths compared with 2.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Westerville fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Franklin County.
- Check whether your routes use I-71, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Franklin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-71 | 8 |
| US-23 | 6 |
| I-270 | 5 |
| CR-75 Cleveland Ave | 2 |
| SR-3 | 2 |
| US-36 | 2 |
| CR-30 Sunbury Rd | 1 |
| CR-8 Sunbury Rd | 1 |
| E 5th Ave | 1 |
| N Cassady Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Franklin County) |
|---|---|
| Ir 270 | 1,250 |
| Ir 70 | 1,125 |
| Ir 71 | 953 |
| Ir 670 | 187 |
| US-33 | 151 |
| SR-315 | 122 |
| Alum Creek Dr | 108 |
| US-23 | 104 |
Westerville at a glance
| Population | 38,612 |
| Land area | 12.6 sq mi |
| Density | 3,064 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Franklin 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 | 39 | — | 8.9 |
| 2000s | 334 | +751% | 8.0 |
| 2010s | 555 | +66% | 7.8 |
| 2020s | 492 | -11% | 10.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 39 to 492. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 8.8 a year in 2016–19, 10.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Westerville
How many truck accidents are there in Westerville?
Since 2015, 6,716 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Franklin County (3,466 injured, 140 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Westerville?
I-71 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Westerville since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Westerville?
Truck crashes in Franklin County peak in September, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Westerville?
Since 2015, Franklin County has reported 141 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.1% of its truck crashes.
How does Westerville compare with Ohio for truck crashes?
Franklin County records 41.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 50.8 across Ohio.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Westerville?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.