Scranton, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Scranton: 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Scranton compares with Pennsylvania
Scranton against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Scranton stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Scranton | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.9 | 57.2 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 50% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 21% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.3% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 50% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.6% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 33% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.9% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Scranton is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Pennsylvania on garbage-truck share.
The headline for Scranton: I-81 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Scranton: 12 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 505 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Scranton. They injured 190 people and killed 6.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 9 days.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 11.3% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.9% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 9.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Scranton is I-81, with 12 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-84 (5), SR-3011 (1) and SR-348 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
20 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.0% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is January, with 20% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 1.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Scranton fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-81; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Scranton
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 12 |
| I-84 | 5 |
| SR-3011 | 1 |
| SR-348 | 1 |
| SR-435 | 1 |
| SR-632 | 1 |
| Ssr-2008 Marshwood Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Scranton) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 155 |
| SR-0011 | 53 |
| Luzerne St | 25 |
| SR-3013 | 24 |
| SR-3011 | 21 |
| Olive St | 15 |
| SR-3025 | 9 |
| SR-0307 | 9 |
Scranton at a glance
| Population | 75,905 |
| Land area | 25.3 sq mi |
| Density | 2,999 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 18503) | $36,107 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Scranton 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 | 32 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 46 | +46% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 38 | -17% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 43 | +11% | 2.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 32 to 43. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.0 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Scranton
How common are truck crashes in Scranton?
505 truck crashes have been reported in Scranton since 2015, with 6 deaths and 190 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Scranton?
NHTSA data shows I-81 with 12 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Scranton since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Scranton?
September has the most truck crashes in Scranton, 11.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Scranton?
20 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Scranton since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Scranton compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 55.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Scranton, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Scranton?
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.