New Salem, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in New Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in New Salem and Fayette County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Fayette County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Fayette County compares with Pennsylvania
Fayette County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Fayette County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Fayette County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 41.9 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 27% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.6% | 9.1% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.4% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.3% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 30% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.8% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Fayette County sits below Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Fayette County: 5.8 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.6 in Pennsylvania.
Overview
Fayette County has recorded 611 truck crashes since 2015, with 319 people injured and 36 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 7 days.
New Salem had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Fayette County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.5%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.8% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 8.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of New Salem is SR-51, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-119 (2), I-43 (1) and National Pike (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
27 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.4% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (15%).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 5.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for New Salem fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-51 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Fayette County.
- Morning starts matter: 26.4% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Pennsylvania.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Fayette County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-51 | 3 |
| US-119 | 2 |
| I-43 | 1 |
| National Pike | 1 |
| SR-166 | 1 |
| SR-2027 | 1 |
| SR-21 | 1 |
| SR-4006 | 1 |
| US-4 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Fayette County) |
|---|---|
| SR-0119 | 120 |
| SR-0040 | 115 |
| SR-0051 | 57 |
| SR-0021 | 26 |
| SR-0201 | 17 |
| SR-0982 | 16 |
| SR-0711 | 15 |
| I-7043 | 15 |
New Salem at a glance
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15468) | $69,375 |
| Median home value (ZIP 15468) | $106,154 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Fayette 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 | 46 | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 43 | -7% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 42 | -2% | 2.3 |
| 2020s | 55 | +30% | 2.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 46 to 55. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about New Salem
How common are truck crashes in New Salem?
Fayette County has had 611 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 319 people and killing 36.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in New Salem?
Since 2015, SR-51 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of New Salem: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in New Salem?
The worst month is January: 11.1% of truck crashes in Fayette County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in New Salem?
27 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Fayette County since 2015, 4.4% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in New Salem compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 41.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Fayette County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in New Salem?
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.