Elizabeth Township, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elizabeth Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elizabeth Township and Lancaster County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lancaster County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lancaster County compares with Pennsylvania
Lancaster County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lancaster County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 63.9 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 39% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.0% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.4% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 19% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 21% below the state |
Lancaster County has lower values than Pennsylvania for deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Lancaster County: January garbage-truck crashes peak in January (13% of the year's total).
Overview
Police reported 4,274 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lancaster County since 2015: 1,880 people were injured and 104 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Only 80 truck crashes were reported in Elizabeth Township since 2015; patterns below come from Lancaster County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.7% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 5.5% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elizabeth since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-72 (5), US-322 (5), I-76 (4), SR-272 (3) and SR-501 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 174 crashes, 4.1% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is January, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.4, vs 2.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Elizabeth Township fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lancaster County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 27.0% of truck crashes here, more than Pennsylvania; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Lancaster County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-72 | 5 |
| US-322 | 5 |
| I-76 | 4 |
| SR-272 | 3 |
| SR-501 | 3 |
| SR-0072 | 2 |
| SR-419 | 2 |
| US-422 | 2 |
| Junction Rd | 1 |
| Quentin Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lancaster County) |
|---|---|
| SR-0030 | 693 |
| SR-0222 | 441 |
| I-6000 | 350 |
| SR-0300 | 257 |
| SR-0272 | 178 |
| SR-0072 | 147 |
| SR-0023 | 146 |
| SR-0322 | 130 |
Elizabeth Township at a glance
| Population | 3,968 |
| Land area | 17.4 sq mi |
| Density | 228 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lancaster 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 | 274 | — | 8.3 |
| 2000s | 275 | +1% | 6.5 |
| 2010s | 287 | +4% | 6.9 |
| 2020s | 378 | +32% | 8.6 |
In the 1990s about 274 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 378. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 7.2 a year in 2016–19, 8.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elizabeth Township
How common are truck crashes in Elizabeth Township?
Lancaster County has had 4,274 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,880 people and killing 104.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Elizabeth Township?
October has the most truck crashes in Lancaster County, 10.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Elizabeth Township?
Garbage trucks were involved in 174 reported crashes in Lancaster County since 2015 (4.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Elizabeth Township compare with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 63.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lancaster County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Elizabeth 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.