Ferndale, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ferndale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ferndale 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 |
Somerset County sits below Pennsylvania 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% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Overview
Police reported 932 crashes involving commercial trucks in Somerset County since 2015: 415 people were injured and 31 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
Ferndale had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Somerset County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (14.1% of the year) and are lowest in July (6.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.7% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 7.3% of truck crashes.
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 Ferndale is SR-56, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come Fifty Acre Rd (1), SR-0403 (1) and SR-271 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 17 crashes, 1.8% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Route planning tips for Ferndale fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Somerset County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-56 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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
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 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-0403 | 1 |
| SR-271 | 1 |
| US-129 | 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 |
Ferndale at a glance
| Population | 1,501 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 3,849 per sq mi |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 67 a year in the 1990s and 83 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 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ferndale
How many truck crashes happen in Ferndale?
932 truck crashes have been reported in Somerset County since 2015, with 31 deaths and 415 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Ferndale?
Since 2015, SR-56 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ferndale: 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Ferndale?
January has the most truck crashes in Somerset County, 14.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Ferndale?
Since 2015, Somerset County has reported 17 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Ferndale compare with Pennsylvania?
Somerset County records 111.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ferndale?
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.