Upper Bern, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Upper Bern: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Upper Bern and Berks County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Berks County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Berks County compares with Pennsylvania
Berks County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Berks County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Berks County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 81.3 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.5% | 24.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.1% | 19.0% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.4% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Upper Bern: SR-61 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Upper Bern: 10 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 4,182 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Berks County. They injured 1,968 people and killed 108.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 105 truck crashes were reported in Upper Bern since 2015; patterns below come from Berks County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 43.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.1% of truck crashes.
8.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
SR-61 leads within 10 miles of Upper Bern with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-78 (6), SR-183 (6) and Berne Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 168 crashes, 4.0% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is March, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.5, vs 2.6 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Upper Bern fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-61; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Berks County.
- 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 Berks County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-61 | 10 |
| I-78 | 6 |
| SR-183 | 6 |
| Berne Dr | 1 |
| SR-0061 | 1 |
| SR-4017 | 1 |
| SR-419 | 1 |
| SR-895 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Berks County) |
|---|---|
| I-0078 | 1,095 |
| SR-0222 | 639 |
| SR-0422 | 349 |
| SR-0061 | 231 |
| SR-0183 | 147 |
| SR-0073 | 92 |
| SR-0012 | 70 |
| SR-0724 | 56 |
Upper Bern at a glance
| Population | 1,605 |
| Land area | 17.7 sq mi |
| Density | 91 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19554) | $81,850 |
| Median home value (ZIP 19554) | $244,050 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Berks 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 | 256 | — | 7.2 |
| 2000s | 283 | +11% | 7.7 |
| 2010s | 278 | -2% | 5.7 |
| 2020s | 374 | +34% | 5.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 256 a year in the 1990s and 374 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 7.0 a year in 2016–19 and 5.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Upper Bern
How common are truck crashes in Upper Bern?
4,182 truck crashes have been reported in Berks County since 2015, with 108 deaths and 1,968 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Upper Bern?
Since 2015, SR-61 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Upper Bern: 10.
When do most truck crashes happen in Upper Bern?
Truck crashes in Berks County peak in January, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Upper Bern?
Garbage trucks were involved in 168 reported crashes in Berks County since 2015 (4.0% of truck crashes).
How does Upper Bern compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 81.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Berks County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Upper Bern?
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.