Benton Township, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benton Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benton Township and Lackawanna County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lackawanna County numbers.
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 |
Lackawanna County has lower values than Pennsylvania for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Benton Township: I-81 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Benton: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,696 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lackawanna County. They injured 743 people and killed 37.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 11 truck crashes were reported in Benton Township since 2015; patterns below come from Lackawanna County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.0%.
November through March accounts for 44.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.7%).
11.5% 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 Benton is I-81, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-0081 (2), SR-6006 (1) and SR-632 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
76 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.5% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (12% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.8, vs 2.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Benton Township fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lackawanna County.
- Look at alternatives to I-81 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 11.5% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Lackawanna County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 6 |
| I-0081 | 2 |
| SR-6006 | 1 |
| SR-632 | 1 |
| SR-92 | 1 |
| US-11 | 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 |
Benton Township at a glance
| Population | 1,742 |
| Land area | 24.1 sq mi |
| Density | 72 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 18420) | $73,333 |
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.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benton Township
How many truck accidents are there in Benton Township?
Lackawanna County has had 1,696 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 743 people and killing 37.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Benton Township?
I-81 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Benton since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Benton Township?
Truck crashes in Lackawanna County peak in January, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Benton Township?
Since 2015, Lackawanna County has reported 76 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Benton Township compared with Pennsylvania?
Lackawanna County records 66.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Benton Township?
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.