Benson, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benson and Somerset County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Somerset County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
17 of 932 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Somerset County compares with Pennsylvania
Somerset County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Somerset County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Somerset County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 111.7 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 47% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 16.4% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.7% | 24.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.4% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.7% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 29.6% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Somerset County is lower on garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Somerset County at a glance: 16.4% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Overview
Since 2015, 932 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Somerset County. They injured 415 people and killed 31.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Benson since 2015, this page uses Somerset County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 14.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 6.3%.
November through March accounts for 49.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (7.3%).
Road surface: 16.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Benson is SR-56, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by Fifty Acre Rd (1), SR-271 (1) and SR-985 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 17 of the truck crashes here, or 1.8%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Route planning tips for Benson fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-56, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- With 16.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Pennsylvania), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Somerset County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-56 | 3 |
| Fifty Acre Rd | 1 |
| SR-271 | 1 |
| SR-985 | 1 |
| US-129 | 1 |
| US-30 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Somerset County) |
|---|---|
| I-6000 | 480 |
| SR-0031 | 65 |
| SR-0219 | 62 |
| SR-0160 | 46 |
| SR-0030 | 34 |
| SR-0056 | 30 |
| SR-0281 | 25 |
| SR-0601 | 17 |
Benson at a glance
| Population | 179 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 506 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15935) | $61,941 |
| Median home value (ZIP 15935) | $95,206 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Somerset 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 | 67 | — | 2.3 |
| 2000s | 81 | +20% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 66 | -19% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 83 | +27% | 2.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 67 to 83. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benson
How many truck crashes happen in Benson?
Since 2015, 932 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Somerset County (415 injured, 31 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Benson?
Since 2015, SR-56 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Benson: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Benson?
January has the most truck crashes in Somerset County, 14.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Benson?
Garbage trucks were involved in 17 reported crashes in Somerset County since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Benson compare with Pennsylvania?
Somerset County records 111.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Benson?
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.