Salem, OR truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 618 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Salem compares with Oregon
Salem against Oregon and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Salem stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Salem | Oregon | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 28.6 | 41.0 | 49.7 | 30% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 46% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.35 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 21% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.2% | 13.3% | 6.2% | 91% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.8% | 24.2% | 23.7% | 22% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.0% | 18.8% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.3% | 45.1% | 41.9% | 17% below the state |
| After dark | 22.4% | 25.3% | 24.8% | 12% below the state |
Salem has lower values than Oregon for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Salem: 1.2% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 13.3% in Oregon.
Overview
Police reported 618 crashes involving commercial trucks in Salem since 2015: 221 people were injured and 12 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 10.7% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.3% of truck crashes, vs 45.1% for Oregon.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
1.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 13.3% across Oregon.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Salem is I-5, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-99 (5), SR-22 (3) and CR-HOWELL Prairie Rd Ne (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 11 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 2.0% across Oregon.
Route planning tips for Salem fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-5, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Salem
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 6 |
| SR-99 | 5 |
| SR-22 | 3 |
| CR-HOWELL Prairie Rd Ne | 2 |
| CR-SILVERTON Rd Ne | 2 |
| SR-214 | 2 |
| SR-99E | 2 |
| CR-CORVALLIS Rd | 1 |
| CR-DELANEY Rd | 1 |
| CR-GOLF Club Rd Se | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Salem) |
|---|---|
| I-5 .05 N Kuebler Blvd On Ramp | 6 |
| I-5 .23 S Portland Rd On Ramp | 5 |
| I-5 & Hwy 22 On Ramp | 5 |
| I-5 .40 S Portland Rd Exit | 4 |
| I-5 & Portland Rd On Ramp | 4 |
| Hawthorne Ave & State St | 4 |
| I-5 & Kuebler Blvd On Ramp | 4 |
| I-5 .75 N Hwy 22 Exit | 3 |
Salem at a glance
| Population | 180,406 |
| Land area | 48.9 sq mi |
| Density | 3,686 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Salem 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 | — | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 30 | — | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 40 | +35% | 3.3 |
| 2020s | 54 | +35% | 5.2 |
From the 2000s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 30 to 54. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 6.5 a year in 2016–19, 5.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Salem
How common are truck crashes in Salem?
618 truck crashes have been reported in Salem since 2015, with 12 deaths and 221 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Salem?
NHTSA data shows I-5 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Salem since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Salem?
The worst month is June: 10.7% of truck crashes in Salem happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Salem?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Salem since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Salem compared with Oregon?
The yearly rate is 28.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Salem, vs 41.0 for Oregon.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Salem?
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.