West Reading, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in West Reading: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in West Reading 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 |
Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
West Reading at a glance: US-222 deadliest road: 7 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of West Reading 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.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 58 truck crashes reported in West Reading since 2015, this page uses Berks County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.3%.
November through March accounts for 43.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.1%).
Road surface: 8.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-222 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). After it: US-422 (4), SR-61 (3) and I-176 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 168 of the truck crashes here, or 4.0%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (13% of them).
They recorded 2.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for West Reading fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-222; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Berks County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-222 | 7 |
| US-422 | 4 |
| SR-61 | 3 |
| I-176 | 2 |
| SR-183 | 2 |
| Oley St | 1 |
| Papermill Rd | 1 |
| Rising Sun Av | 1 |
| SR-4017 | 1 |
| SR-73 | 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 |
West Reading at a glance
| Population | 4,600 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 7,744 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 19611) | $63,331 |
| Median home value (ZIP 19611) | $177,212 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 256 to 374. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 West Reading
How many truck accidents are there in West Reading?
Since 2015, 4,182 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Berks County (1,968 injured, 108 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in West Reading?
Since 2015, US-222 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of West Reading: 7.
Which month has the most truck crashes in West Reading?
Truck crashes in Berks County peak in January, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in West Reading?
168 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Berks County since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in West Reading compared with Pennsylvania?
Per 100,000 residents, Berks County has 81.3 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in West Reading?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.