Palmerton, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Palmerton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Palmerton and Carbon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Carbon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 705 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Carbon County compares with Pennsylvania
Carbon County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carbon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Carbon County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 90.8 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 45% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.4% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.7% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.8% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.1% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.7% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Carbon County is lower on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Palmerton: I-476 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Palmerton since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 705 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Carbon County. They injured 310 people and killed 19.
That averages about one truck crash every 6 days in fully reported years.
With 15 truck crashes reported in Palmerton since 2015, this page uses Carbon County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 11.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 5.2%.
November through March accounts for 43.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 13.4% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Palmerton is I-476, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-0248 (1), SR-0534 (1) and SR-1045 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 13 of the truck crashes here, or 1.8%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Route planning tips for Palmerton fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Carbon County.
- Check whether your routes use I-476, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 13.4% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; schedule winter 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Carbon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-476 | 4 |
| SR-0248 | 1 |
| SR-0534 | 1 |
| SR-1045 | 1 |
| SR-145 | 1 |
| SR-248 | 1 |
| SR-3002 | 1 |
| SR-3019 | 1 |
| SR-309 | 1 |
| SR-443 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carbon County) |
|---|---|
| I-7476 | 271 |
| I-0080 | 158 |
| SR-0209 | 66 |
| SR-0903 | 20 |
| Northeast Et | 17 |
| SR-0443 | 17 |
| SR-8004 | 13 |
| SR-0940 | 13 |
Palmerton at a glance
| Population | 5,634 |
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,267 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carbon 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 | 37 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 50 | +33% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 48 | -2% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 57 | +18% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 37 to 57. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Palmerton
How many truck crashes happen in Palmerton?
Since 2015, 705 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Carbon County (310 injured, 19 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Palmerton?
NHTSA data shows I-476 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Palmerton since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Palmerton?
Truck crashes in Carbon County peak in March, with 11.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Palmerton?
Since 2015, Carbon County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
How does Palmerton compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 90.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Carbon County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Palmerton?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.