Dauphin, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dauphin: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Dauphin and Dauphin County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dauphin County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Dauphin County compares with Pennsylvania
Dauphin County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dauphin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 93.8 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 19% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 69% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.7% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.8% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.1% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Dauphin County has lower values than Pennsylvania for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Dauphin County: 1 in 88 garbage-truck share of crashes is 1.1%, against 3.6% for Pennsylvania.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,229 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dauphin County. They injured 1,233 people and killed 62.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 20 truck crashes reported in Dauphin since 2015, this page uses Dauphin County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.7%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.1% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 7.8% of truck crashes.
5.7% 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 Dauphin is I-81, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-83 (5), US-11 (4) and SR-8004 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
35 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.1% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (17% of them).
They recorded 5.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Dauphin fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Dauphin County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-81; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Dauphin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 7 |
| I-83 | 5 |
| US-11 | 4 |
| SR-8004 | 3 |
| SR-114 | 2 |
| SR-8003 | 2 |
| US-22 | 2 |
| I-0083 | 1 |
| Jonestown Rd | 1 |
| S 17th St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dauphin County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 856 |
| I-0083 | 545 |
| SR-0022 | 325 |
| SR-0300 | 146 |
| I-6000 | 142 |
| I-0283 | 132 |
| SR-0230 | 98 |
| SR-0039 | 61 |
Dauphin at a glance
| Population | 796 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,860 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 17018) | $72,188 |
| Median home value (ZIP 17018) | $238,919 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dauphin 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 | 192 | — | 3.8 |
| 2000s | 216 | +12% | 4.9 |
| 2010s | 222 | +3% | 4.6 |
| 2020s | 265 | +20% | 4.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 192 to 265. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 4.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Dauphin
How many truck accidents are there in Dauphin?
Dauphin County has had 3,229 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,233 people and killing 62.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Dauphin?
I-81 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Dauphin since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Dauphin?
The worst month is August: 9.4% of truck crashes in Dauphin County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Dauphin?
Since 2015, Dauphin County has reported 35 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Dauphin compared with Pennsylvania?
Dauphin County records 93.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Dauphin?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.