Washington, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Washington: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Washington 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 |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Washington County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for Washington: I-70 deadliest road: 7 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Washington since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,982 crashes involving commercial trucks in Washington County since 2015: 862 people were injured and 38 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 56 truck crashes were reported in Washington since 2015; patterns below come from Washington County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.0% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 7.3% of truck crashes.
9.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Washington is I-70, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-79 (4), Galley Rd (1) and SR-1023 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 50 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (16% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.3, vs 2.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Washington fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 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 | 4 |
| Galley Rd | 1 |
| SR-1023 | 1 |
| SR-136 | 1 |
| SR-19 | 1 |
| US-40 | 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 |
Washington at a glance
| Population | 13,334 |
| Land area | 2.9 sq mi |
| Density | 4,552 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 15301) | $70,473 |
| Median home value (ZIP 15301) | $202,048 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 127 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 147. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Washington
How many truck accidents are there in Washington?
Washington County has had 1,982 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 862 people and killing 38.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Washington?
Since 2015, I-70 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Washington: 7.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Washington?
Truck crashes in Washington County peak in January, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Washington?
50 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Washington County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Washington compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
Washington County records 80.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Washington?
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.