West Salem, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in West Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in West Salem 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 |
Mercer County sits below Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Mercer County at a glance: 26.5% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Overview
Mercer County has recorded 1,176 truck crashes since 2015, with 547 people injured and 29 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 19 truck crashes were reported in West Salem 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%).
November through March accounts for 49.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (6.6%).
26.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of West Salem happened on SR-18 (1) and SR-4020 (1); no road leads clearly.
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%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for West Salem fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Mercer County.
- 26.5% 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 Mercer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-18 | 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 |
West Salem at a glance
| Population | 3,188 |
| Land area | 36.9 sq mi |
| Density | 86 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16125) | $54,787 |
| Median home value (ZIP 16125) | $144,851 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about West Salem
How many truck accidents are there in West Salem?
Since 2015, 1,176 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Mercer County (547 injured, 29 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in West Salem?
January has the most truck crashes in Mercer County, 15.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in West Salem?
Since 2015, Mercer County has reported 41 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.5% of its truck crashes.
How does West Salem compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 88.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Mercer County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in West Salem?
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.