East Side, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in East Side: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in East Side and Luzerne County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Luzerne County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Luzerne County compares with Pennsylvania
Luzerne County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Luzerne County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 74.6 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 17% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.4% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.9% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.8% | 19.0% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.9% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Luzerne County sits below Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for Luzerne County: December garbage-truck crashes peak in December (17% of the year's total).
Overview
Luzerne County has recorded 2,881 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,313 people injured and 56 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
East Side had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Luzerne County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 9.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.0% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 10.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of East Side is I-80, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-476 (4), I-0080 (1) and SR-0115 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 82 of the truck crashes here, or 2.8%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is December, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 3.7 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for East Side fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-80, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Luzerne County.
- 10.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Pennsylvania; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Luzerne County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 9 |
| I-476 | 4 |
| I-0080 | 1 |
| SR-0115 | 1 |
| SR-115 | 1 |
| SR-437 | 1 |
| SR-940 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Luzerne County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 818 |
| I-0080 | 562 |
| SR-0309 | 167 |
| I-7476 | 113 |
| SR-0315 | 104 |
| SR-0093 | 95 |
| SR-0924 | 86 |
| SR-0011 | 75 |
East Side at a glance
| Population | 255 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 221 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 18661) | $75,057 |
| Median home value (ZIP 18661) | $196,803 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Luzerne 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 | 147 | — | 4.4 |
| 2000s | 194 | +32% | 4.6 |
| 2010s | 182 | -6% | 3.2 |
| 2020s | 257 | +41% | 3.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 147 a year in the 1990s and 257 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 2.5 a year in 2016–19 and 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about East Side
How many truck accidents are there in East Side?
Since 2015, 2,881 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Luzerne County (1,313 injured, 56 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in East Side?
I-80 had 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of East Side since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in East Side?
December has the most truck crashes in Luzerne County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in East Side?
82 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Luzerne County since 2015, 2.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in East Side compared with Pennsylvania?
Luzerne County records 74.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in East Side?
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.