Dale, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Dale and Cambria County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cambria County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Cambria County compares with Pennsylvania
Cambria County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cambria County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cambria County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.5 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 33% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 31% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.8% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 22.0% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 2.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.9% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.0% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.7% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 17.6% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 28% below the state |
Cambria County sits below Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Cambria County: 22.0% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Overview
Cambria County has recorded 553 truck crashes since 2015, with 239 people injured and 11 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Dale since 2015; patterns below come from Cambria County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 5.1%.
November through March accounts for 49.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.9% of truck crashes.
22.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
SR-56 leads within 10 miles of Dale with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: Fifty Acre Rd (1), SR-0403 (1) and SR-271 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 27 of the truck crashes here, or 4.9%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in February (15% of them).
They recorded 4.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Dale fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-56; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: February is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cambria County.
- 27.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Pennsylvania; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 22.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Pennsylvania; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cambria County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-56 | 3 |
| Fifty Acre Rd | 1 |
| SR-0403 | 1 |
| SR-271 | 1 |
| US-129 | 1 |
| US-219 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cambria County) |
|---|---|
| SR-0022 | 117 |
| SR-0219 | 63 |
| SR-0056 | 62 |
| SR-0271 | 32 |
| SR-0053 | 24 |
| SR-0422 | 15 |
| SR-0756 | 14 |
| SR-0036 | 12 |
Dale at a glance
| Population | 960 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 5,486 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15901) | $27,121 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cambria 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 | 50 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 55 | +11% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 55 | -1% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 43 | -21% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 50 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 43. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Dale
How many truck crashes happen in Dale?
553 truck crashes have been reported in Cambria County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 239 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Dale?
SR-56 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Dale since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Dale?
Truck crashes in Cambria County peak in January, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Dale?
Since 2015, Cambria County has reported 27 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Dale compare with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 38.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cambria County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Dale?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.