Johnstown, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Johnstown: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Johnstown 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 has lower values than Pennsylvania for 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).
Cambria County at a glance: 22.0% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Overview
Police reported 553 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cambria County since 2015: 239 people were injured and 11 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
With 76 truck crashes reported in Johnstown since 2015, this page uses Cambria County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.4% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.7% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across 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
Within this area, SR-56 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by 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.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in February (15%).
They recorded 4.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Johnstown fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-56, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 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 |
Johnstown at a glance
| Population | 17,853 |
| Land area | 5.9 sq mi |
| Density | 3,019 per sq mi |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 50 to 43. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Johnstown
How many truck crashes happen in Johnstown?
Cambria County has had 553 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 239 people and killing 11.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Johnstown?
Since 2015, SR-56 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Johnstown: 3.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Johnstown?
Truck crashes in Cambria County peak in January, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Johnstown?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Cambria County since 2015 (4.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Johnstown compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 38.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cambria County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Johnstown?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
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.