North Bethlehem, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Bethlehem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Bethlehem and Washington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Washington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Washington County compares with Pennsylvania
Washington County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Washington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Washington County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 80.1 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 31% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.0% | 9.1% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.5% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.6% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.8% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Washington County sits below Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for North Bethlehem: I-70 deadliest road: 7 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of North Bethlehem since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,982 crashes involving commercial trucks in Washington County since 2015: 862 people were injured and 38 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
North Bethlehem had 13 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Washington County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.0% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 7.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 9.0% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of North Bethlehem is I-70, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-79 (3), SR-136 (2) and US-40 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
50 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (16% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.3 deaths compared with 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for North Bethlehem fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Washington County.
- Look at alternatives to I-70 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Washington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 7 |
| I-79 | 3 |
| SR-136 | 2 |
| US-40 | 2 |
| SR-19 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Washington County) |
|---|---|
| I-0070 | 835 |
| I-0079 | 253 |
| SR-0018 | 94 |
| SR-0019 | 56 |
| SR-0040 | 45 |
| SR-0022 | 43 |
| SR-0088 | 33 |
| SR-0519 | 33 |
North Bethlehem at a glance
| Population | 1,546 |
| Land area | 22.1 sq mi |
| Density | 70 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15360) | $85,341 |
| Median home value (ZIP 15360) | $250,984 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Washington 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 | 127 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 115 | -9% | 3.4 |
| 2010s | 153 | +33% | 2.9 |
| 2020s | 147 | -4% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 127 a year in the 1990s and 147 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 3.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Bethlehem
How common are truck crashes in North Bethlehem?
1,982 truck crashes have been reported in Washington County since 2015, with 38 deaths and 862 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in North Bethlehem?
NHTSA data shows I-70 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of North Bethlehem since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in North Bethlehem?
Truck crashes in Washington County peak in January, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in North Bethlehem?
50 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Washington County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in North Bethlehem compared with Pennsylvania?
Per 100,000 residents, Washington County has 80.1 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Bethlehem?
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.