Palmer Heights, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Palmer Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Palmer Heights and Northampton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Northampton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Northampton County compares with Pennsylvania
Northampton County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Northampton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Northampton County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 56.5 | 57.2 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 35% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.9% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 46% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.7% | 24.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.9% | 19.0% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 24.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Northampton County sits below Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar).
The headline for Palmer Heights: SR-33 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Palmer Heights since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,134 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Northampton County. They injured 1,038 people and killed 35.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Palmer Heights had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Northampton County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.6% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 7.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-33 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). It is followed by I-78 (5), US-22 (4) and SR-378 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
75 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in November (13%).
They recorded 2.8 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Palmer Heights fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Northampton County.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-33; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Northampton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-33 | 6 |
| I-78 | 5 |
| US-22 | 4 |
| SR-378 | 2 |
| SR-0033 | 1 |
| SR-0121 | 1 |
| SR-0512 | 1 |
| SR-1002 | 1 |
| SR-2018 | 1 |
| SR-248 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Northampton County) |
|---|---|
| I-0078 | 473 |
| SR-0033 | 216 |
| SR-0022 | 178 |
| SR-0512 | 167 |
| SR-0248 | 107 |
| SR-0191 | 49 |
| SR-0611 | 47 |
| SR-1002 | 41 |
Palmer Heights at a glance
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 18045) | $114,528 |
| Median home value (ZIP 18045) | $337,020 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Northampton 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 | 97 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 116 | +20% | 3.4 |
| 2010s | 132 | +13% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 206 | +56% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 97 a year in the 1990s and 206 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 3.5 a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Palmer Heights
How common are truck crashes in Palmer Heights?
Northampton County has had 2,134 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,038 people and killing 35.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Palmer Heights?
NHTSA data shows SR-33 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Palmer Heights since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Palmer Heights?
August has the most truck crashes in Northampton County, 10.3% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Palmer Heights?
Since 2015, Northampton County has reported 75 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Palmer Heights compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
Northampton County records 56.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Palmer Heights?
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.