Salem Township, Mercer County, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salem Township, Mercer County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Salem Township, Mercer County and Mercer County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mercer County numbers.
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 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Mercer County compares with Pennsylvania
Mercer County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mercer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mercer County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 88.3 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 3.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 2.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.2% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 32.9% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.7× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.4% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Mercer County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Mercer County: 26.5% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,176 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Mercer County. They injured 547 people and killed 29.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
Only 5 truck crashes were reported in Salem Township, Mercer County since 2015; patterns below come from Mercer County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 15.1% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 49.0% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 6.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 26.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Salem since 2015: US-19 (2), I-79 (1) and SR-4020 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 41 of the truck crashes here, or 3.5%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (20%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Salem Township, Mercer County fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Mercer County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 26.5% 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
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 Mercer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-19 | 2 |
| I-79 | 1 |
| SR-4020 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mercer County) |
|---|---|
| I-0080 | 581 |
| I-0079 | 90 |
| SR-0018 | 52 |
| Z H Confair Hw | 50 |
| SR-0019 | 36 |
| SR-0058 | 33 |
| SR-0062 | 31 |
| SR-0173 | 23 |
Salem Township, Mercer County at a glance
| Population | 735 |
| Land area | 13.4 sq mi |
| Density | 55 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16130) | $58,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 16130) | $138,251 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mercer 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 | 87 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 88 | +1% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 80 | -9% | 2.3 |
| 2020s | 93 | +16% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 87 to 93. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Salem Township, Mercer County
How many truck crashes happen in Salem Township, Mercer County?
Since 2015, 1,176 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Mercer County (547 injured, 29 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Salem Township, Mercer County?
Truck crashes in Mercer County peak in January, with 15.1% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Salem Township, Mercer County?
41 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mercer County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Salem Township, Mercer County compared with Pennsylvania?
Mercer County records 88.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Salem Township, Mercer County?
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.