Portsmouth, RI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Portsmouth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Portsmouth and Newport County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Newport County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 126 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Newport County compares with Rhode Island
Newport County against Rhode Island and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Newport County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Newport County | Rhode Island | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 12.6 | 14.2 | 49.7 | 11% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 7% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.60 | 0.64 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.2% | 4.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.5% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.3% | 28.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.9% | 14.1% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 32.8% | 40.9% | 41.9% | 20% below the state |
| After dark | 14.7% | 19.0% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Newport County has lower values than Rhode Island for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Rhode Island on garbage-truck share.
Newport County at a glance: June worst month: 15.9% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 126 crashes involving commercial trucks in Newport County since 2015: 82 people were injured and 3 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 35 days.
Only 25 truck crashes were reported in Portsmouth since 2015; patterns below come from Newport County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 15.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 3.2%.
November through March accounts for 32.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in Rhode Island.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 12.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 3.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Rhode Island: 5.6%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Portsmouth since 2015: 640 Sodom Road (1), I-195 (1), Roger Williams Way (1), Roger Williams Wy (1) and SR-138 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 6 crashes, 4.8% of the total, against 4.6% across Rhode Island.
Route planning tips for Portsmouth fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Newport County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| 640 Sodom Road | 1 |
| I-195 | 1 |
| Roger Williams Way | 1 |
| Roger Williams Wy | 1 |
| SR-138 | 1 |
| SR-138A | 1 |
| SR-177 | 1 |
| SR-403 | 1 |
| SR-81 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Newport County) |
|---|---|
| SR-95 | 24 |
| East Main Rd | 13 |
| West Main Rd | 10 |
| SR-138 | 5 |
| Fish Rd | 4 |
| Memorial Blvd | 4 |
| Admiral Kalbfus Rd | 3 |
| Main St | 3 |
Portsmouth at a glance
| Population | 17,391 |
| Land area | 23.0 sq mi |
| Density | 755 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 02871) | $116,831 |
| Median home value (ZIP 02871) | $597,593 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Newport 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 | 4 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 12 | +158% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 12 | -1% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 10 | -12% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 10. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Portsmouth
How many truck crashes happen in Portsmouth?
Newport County has had 126 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 82 people and killing 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Portsmouth?
The worst month is June: 15.9% of truck crashes in Newport County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Portsmouth?
Since 2015, Newport County has reported 6 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Portsmouth compare with Rhode Island?
The yearly rate is 12.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Newport County, vs 14.2 for Rhode Island.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Portsmouth?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.