Elder, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elder: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elder 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. It runs above Pennsylvania on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Cambria County: 22.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.1% in 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.
With 1 truck crash reported in Elder since 2015, this page uses Cambria County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.4% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (5.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.7% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.9%).
Road surface: 22.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Elder since 2015: SR-36 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
27 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
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 Elder fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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.
- With 22.0% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Pennsylvania), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2023, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
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-36 | 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 |
Elder at a glance
| Population | 1,017 |
| Land area | 13.2 sq mi |
| Density | 77 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16675) | $40,104 |
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 Elder
How common are truck crashes in Elder?
553 truck crashes have been reported in Cambria County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 239 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Elder?
January has the most truck crashes in Cambria County, 11.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Elder?
Since 2015, Cambria County has reported 27 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Elder compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 38.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cambria County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Elder?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
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.