Rice, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rice: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rice 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 has lower values than Pennsylvania for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for Luzerne County: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 17% of them.
Overview
Police reported 2,881 crashes involving commercial trucks in Luzerne County since 2015: 1,313 people were injured and 56 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Rice had 76 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
December has the most truck crashes, 9.3% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.0% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 7.4% of truck crashes.
10.4% 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 Rice is I-80, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-81 (4), SR-2007 (2) and SR-2004 (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.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.7, vs 2.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Rice fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 10.4% 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
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 Luzerne County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 6 |
| I-81 | 4 |
| SR-2007 | 2 |
| SR-2004 | 1 |
| SR-437 | 1 |
| Ssr-2007 E Northampton St | 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 |
Rice at a glance
| Population | 3,795 |
| Land area | 11.0 sq mi |
| Density | 346 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 18707) | $109,567 |
| Median home value (ZIP 18707) | $302,897 |
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. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rice
How common are truck crashes in Rice?
Since 2015, 2,881 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Luzerne County (1,313 injured, 56 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Rice?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rice: 6.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Rice?
Truck crashes in Luzerne County peak in December, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Rice?
Since 2015, Luzerne County has reported 82 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rice compared with Pennsylvania?
Per 100,000 residents, Luzerne County has 74.6 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Rice?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.