Petrolia, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Petrolia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Petrolia 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 |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Butler County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Butler County: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 19% of them.
Overview
Butler County has recorded 1,103 truck crashes since 2015, with 459 people injured and 36 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Petrolia since 2015; patterns below come from Butler County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.0% of the year) and are lowest in December (6.6%).
November through March accounts for 42.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (7.9%).
9.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Petrolia since 2015: SR-268 (2), SR-38 (1) and SR-68 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 36 of the truck crashes here, or 3.3%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (19%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 8.8, vs 3.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Petrolia fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- 28.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Pennsylvania; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 9.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Pennsylvania; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Butler County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-268 | 2 |
| SR-38 | 1 |
| SR-68 | 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 |
Petrolia at a glance
| Population | 173 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 438 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16041) | $67,167 |
| Median home value (ZIP 16041) | $144,768 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 91 to 95. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Petrolia
How common are truck crashes in Petrolia?
Since 2015, 1,103 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Butler County (459 injured, 36 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Petrolia?
Truck crashes in Butler County peak in January, with 11.0% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Petrolia?
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 Petrolia compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 47.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Butler County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Petrolia?
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.