Pennsylvania truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pennsylvania: 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
2.6 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Pennsylvania compares with United States
Pennsylvania against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pennsylvania stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pennsylvania | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.2× the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.4 | 24% below the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.5× the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.4× the US |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with the US, Pennsylvania is lower on deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above the US on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Pennsylvania: 1 in 28 crashes involve a garbage truck (3,077 since 2015), vs 2.3% across the US.
Overview
Since 2015, 87,903 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pennsylvania. They injured 41,283 people and killed 2,245.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 21 truck crashes a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.4% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 42.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in the US.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (6.8%).
9.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.2% across the US.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads in Pennsylvania with 95 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-81 (81), I-76 (53) and US-30 (45).
Garbage & waste trucks
3,077 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (the US: 2.3%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (9%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.6, vs 2.6 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Pennsylvania fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- With 9.1% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above the US), 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
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 Pennsylvania
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Pennsylvania) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 95 |
| I-81 | 81 |
| I-76 | 53 |
| US-30 | 45 |
| US-22 | 29 |
| US-322 | 28 |
| I-78 | 26 |
| US-11 | 26 |
| US-422 | 24 |
| US-222 | 23 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pennsylvania) |
|---|---|
| I-0080 | 5,781 |
| I-0081 | 5,358 |
| I-6000 | 4,880 |
| I-0078 | 2,642 |
| SR-0030 | 2,130 |
| SR-0022 | 1,889 |
| I-0095 | 1,835 |
| I-0083 | 1,651 |
Pennsylvania at a glance
| Population | 13,078,751 |
| Land area | 44,742.1 sq mi |
| Density | 292 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in Pennsylvania 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 | 4,731 | — | 177.4 |
| 2000s | 6,230 | +32% | 165.5 |
| 2010s | 6,158 | -1% | 144.4 |
| 2020s | 7,628 | +24% | 149.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 4,731 a year in the 1990s and 7,628 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 139.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 149.6 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in Pennsylvania
Largest places in Pennsylvania
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about Pennsylvania
How many truck accidents are there in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has had 87,903 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 41,283 people and killing 2,245.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Pennsylvania?
NHTSA data shows I-80 with 95 fatal large-truck crashes in Pennsylvania since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Pennsylvania?
Truck crashes in Pennsylvania peak in January, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Pennsylvania?
Garbage trucks were involved in 3,077 reported crashes in Pennsylvania since 2015 (3.5% of truck crashes).
How does Pennsylvania compare with the US for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Pennsylvania has 57.2 truck crashes a year; the US has 49.7.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Pennsylvania?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.