Rhode Island truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rhode Island: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Rhode Island compares with United States
Rhode Island against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rhode Island stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rhode Island | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 14.2 | 49.7 | 71% below the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.8 | 3.4 | 18% below the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.49 | 1.3× the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.6% | 2.3% | 2.0× the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.6% | 6.2% | 10% below the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the US |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.0% | 24.8% | 23% below the US |
Rhode Island sits below the US on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above the US on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Rhode Island: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.6%, vs 2.3% in the US.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,866 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Rhode Island. They injured 1,209 people and killed 50.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 9.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 6.6%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.9% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for the US.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (9.1%).
5.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.2% across the US.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Rhode Island is I-95, with 8 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-44 (3), US-6 (3) and I-195 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 86 of the truck crashes here, or 4.6%, compared with 2.3% in the US.
Their busiest month is August, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 8.8, vs 2.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Rhode Island fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Rhode Island.
- Look at alternatives to I-95 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Rhode Island.
- Morning starts matter: 28.0% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than the US.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Rhode Island
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Rhode Island) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 8 |
| US-44 | 3 |
| US-6 | 3 |
| I-195 | 2 |
| I-295 | 2 |
| US-6A | 2 |
| Atwells Ave | 1 |
| Cranston St | 1 |
| Jefferson Bl | 1 |
| Railroad Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rhode Island) |
|---|---|
| SR-95 | 418 |
| SR-295 | 101 |
| SR-146 | 82 |
| SR-195 | 46 |
| Hartford Ave | 35 |
| SR-6 | 32 |
| Main St | 28 |
| Post Rd | 23 |
Rhode Island at a glance
| Population | 1,112,308 |
| Land area | 1,033.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,076 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in Rhode Island 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 | 69 | — | 5.3 |
| 2000s | 237 | +241% | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 181 | -24% | 2.9 |
| 2020s | 144 | -20% | 4.4 |
In the 1990s about 69 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 144. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 3.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.4 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in Rhode Island
Largest places in Rhode Island
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about Rhode Island
How common are truck crashes in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has had 1,866 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,209 people and killing 50.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Rhode Island?
I-95 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Rhode Island since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Rhode Island?
The worst month is June: 9.6% of truck crashes in Rhode Island happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Rhode Island?
Garbage trucks were involved in 86 reported crashes in Rhode Island since 2015 (4.6% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Rhode Island compare with the US?
Per 100,000 residents, Rhode Island has 14.2 truck crashes a year; the US has 49.7.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Rhode Island?
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.