Mars, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mars: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mars and Butler County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Butler County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Butler County compares with Pennsylvania
Butler County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Butler County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Butler County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 47.5 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 17% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 9% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.8% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.9% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.4% | 19.0% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.8% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Butler County sits below Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Mars: I-79 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Mars: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,103 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Butler County. They injured 459 people and killed 36.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Mars had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Butler County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.0% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (6.6%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.5% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 9.8% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
I-79 leads within 10 miles of Mars with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-8 (3), US-19 (3) and I-76 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 36 crashes, 3.3% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (19% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 8.8, vs 3.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Mars fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Butler County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-79; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.9% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; adjust start times where you can.
- With 9.8% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Pennsylvania), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Butler County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-79 | 6 |
| SR-8 | 3 |
| US-19 | 3 |
| I-76 | 1 |
| Marburger Rd | 1 |
| SR-0008 | 1 |
| SR-3015 | 1 |
| SR-6 | 1 |
| SR-68 | 1 |
| SR-910 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Butler County) |
|---|---|
| I-0079 | 173 |
| SR-0422 | 106 |
| SR-0008 | 103 |
| SR-0019 | 75 |
| SR-0228 | 68 |
| I-6000 | 56 |
| SR-0068 | 56 |
| SR-0356 | 55 |
Mars at a glance
| Population | 1,415 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 3,011 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16046) | $151,560 |
| Median home value (ZIP 16046) | $489,561 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Butler 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 | 91 | — | 3.2 |
| 2000s | 85 | -7% | 4.0 |
| 2010s | 92 | +9% | 3.2 |
| 2020s | 95 | +3% | 3.2 |
In the 1990s about 91 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 95. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 3.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Mars
How many truck accidents are there in Mars?
1,103 truck crashes have been reported in Butler County since 2015, with 36 deaths and 459 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Mars?
Since 2015, I-79 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Mars: 6.
When do most truck crashes happen in Mars?
The worst month is January: 11.0% of truck crashes in Butler County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Mars?
Garbage trucks were involved in 36 reported crashes in Butler County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Mars compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 47.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Butler County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Mars?
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.