Lorain, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lorain: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lorain 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 stands out for higher garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
Cambria County at a glance: 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.
Lorain had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cambria County numbers.
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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Lorain is SR-56, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come 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 Lorain fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cambria County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-56 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in February; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 27.9% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; adjust start times where you can.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 22.0% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Crash reporting for 2023 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
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 |
Lorain at a glance
| Population | 577 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,707 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15902) | $44,215 |
| Median home value (ZIP 15902) | $65,023 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 50 a year in the 1990s and 43 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lorain
How many truck crashes happen in Lorain?
Since 2015, 553 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Cambria County (239 injured, 11 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Lorain?
NHTSA data shows SR-56 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lorain since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lorain?
Truck crashes in Cambria County peak in January, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lorain?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Cambria County since 2015 (4.9% of truck crashes).
How does Lorain compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
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 Lorain?
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.