Kent, OH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kent: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kent and Portage County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Portage County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Portage County compares with Ohio
Portage County against Ohio and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Portage County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Portage County | Ohio | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 70.9 | 50.8 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 26% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 11% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.8% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.2% | 21.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.6% | 18.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.3% | 42.3% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 23.9% | 25.8% | 24.8% | 7% below the state |
Portage County sits below Ohio on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Portage County: 11.8% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Ohio: 7.8%).
Overview
Portage County has recorded 1,351 truck crashes since 2015, with 586 people injured and 32 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Only 48 truck crashes were reported in Kent since 2015; patterns below come from Portage County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.3% of truck crashes, against 42.3% across Ohio.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 7.8% of truck crashes.
11.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 7.8% across Ohio.
Where crashes happen
SR-8 leads within 10 miles of Kent with 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-14 (6), SR-303 (4) and I-80 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 29 crashes, 2.1% of the total, against 2.5% across Ohio.
Their busiest month is April, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.4, vs 2.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Kent fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Portage County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-8 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 23.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Ohio.
- 11.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Ohio; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Portage County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-8 | 7 |
| SR-14 | 6 |
| SR-303 | 4 |
| I-80 | 3 |
| US-224 | 3 |
| CR-162 Lake St | 2 |
| I-76 | 2 |
| SR-59 | 2 |
| CR-15 S Arlington St | 1 |
| CR-167 Peck Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Portage County) |
|---|---|
| Ir 80 | 290 |
| Ir 76 | 189 |
| Ir 0076 | 128 |
| SR-14 | 114 |
| Ir 0080 | 74 |
| SR-0014 | 45 |
| SR-44 | 36 |
| SR-43 | 34 |
Kent at a glance
| Population | 27,720 |
| Land area | 9.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,921 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Portage 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 | 10 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 91 | +794% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 126 | +39% | 2.9 |
| 2020s | 103 | -18% | 3.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 10 a year in the 1990s and 103 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.5 a year in 2016–19 and 3.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Kent
How many truck accidents are there in Kent?
Since 2015, 1,351 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Portage County (586 injured, 32 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Kent?
NHTSA data shows SR-8 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Kent since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Kent?
January has the most truck crashes in Portage County, 11.3% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Kent?
Garbage trucks were involved in 29 reported crashes in Portage County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How does Kent compare with Ohio for truck crashes?
Portage County records 70.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 50.8 across Ohio.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Kent?
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.