Northern Cambria, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Northern Cambria: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Northern Cambria 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).
The headline for Cambria County: 22.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Overview
Police reported 553 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cambria County since 2015: 239 people were injured and 11 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
With 6 truck crashes reported in Northern Cambria since 2015, this page uses Cambria County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 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.
Road surface: 22.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Northern Cambria happened on SR-36 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
27 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
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 Northern Cambria fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: February is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cambria County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 27.9% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; adjust start times where you can.
- 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
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.
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-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 |
Northern Cambria at a glance
| Population | 3,448 |
| Land area | 3.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,146 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15775) | $72,321 |
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. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Northern Cambria
How common are truck crashes in Northern Cambria?
553 truck crashes have been reported in Cambria County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 239 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Northern Cambria?
January has the most truck crashes in Cambria County, 11.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Northern Cambria?
27 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cambria County since 2015, 4.9% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Northern Cambria compared 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 Northern Cambria?
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.