Lackawanna County, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lackawanna County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lackawanna County compares with Pennsylvania
Lackawanna County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lackawanna County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lackawanna County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 66.9 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 12% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.0% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.2% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Lackawanna County at a glance: I-81 deadliest road: 13 fatal truck crashes in Lackawanna County since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,696 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lackawanna County since 2015: 743 people were injured and 37 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.2% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.7%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 11.5% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
I-81 leads in Lackawanna County with 13 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-84 (5), I-0081 (2) and SR-3011 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 76 crashes, 4.5% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (12%).
They recorded 2.8 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Lackawanna County fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lackawanna County.
- Check whether your routes use I-81, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Lackawanna County.
- With 11.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Pennsylvania), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Lackawanna County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Lackawanna County) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 13 |
| I-84 | 5 |
| I-0081 | 2 |
| SR-3011 | 1 |
| SR-348 | 1 |
| SR-435 | 1 |
| SR-6006 | 1 |
| SR-632 | 1 |
| Ssr-2008 Marshwood Rd | 1 |
| US-6 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lackawanna County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 473 |
| I-0084 | 143 |
| I-0380 | 81 |
| SR-0011 | 75 |
| SR-0006 | 73 |
| SR-6006 | 53 |
| SR-3013 | 45 |
| I-7476 | 33 |
Lackawanna County at a glance
| Population | 216,859 |
| Land area | 458.9 sq mi |
| Density | 473 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $66,711 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lackawanna 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 | 112 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 130 | +16% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 121 | -6% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 151 | +25% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 112 a year in the 1990s and 151 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 3.0 a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Lackawanna County
ZIP codes in Lackawanna County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Lackawanna County
How many truck crashes happen in Lackawanna County?
1,696 truck crashes have been reported in Lackawanna County since 2015, with 37 deaths and 743 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Lackawanna County?
I-81 had 13 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Lackawanna County since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lackawanna County?
Truck crashes in Lackawanna County peak in January, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lackawanna County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 76 reported crashes in Lackawanna County since 2015 (4.5% of truck crashes).
How does Lackawanna County compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
Lackawanna County records 66.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Lackawanna County?
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.