Burlington, VT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Burlington: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Burlington and Chittenden County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Chittenden County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
16 of 379 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Chittenden County compares with Vermont
Chittenden County against Vermont and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Chittenden County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Chittenden County | Vermont | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 19.4 | 28.2 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.5 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 86% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.9% | 23.6% | 6.2% | 33% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.8% | 27.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.6% | 26.7% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.0% | 50.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.6% | 17.6% | 24.8% | same |
Chittenden County has lower values than Vermont for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Chittenden County at a glance: 0.5 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.6 across Vermont.
Overview
Chittenden County has recorded 379 truck crashes since 2015, with 163 people injured and 3 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 47 truck crashes were reported in Burlington since 2015; patterns below come from Chittenden County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 47.0% of truck crashes, vs 50.2% for Vermont.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (12.2%).
15.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 23.6% across Vermont.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Burlington since 2015 were spread across roads: I-89 (1) and US-7 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 16 of the truck crashes here, or 4.2%, compared with 3.3% in Vermont.
Route planning tips for Burlington fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Chittenden County.
- 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 Chittenden County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-89 | 1 |
| US-7 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Chittenden County) |
|---|---|
| I-89 | 23 |
| Williston Rd | 3 |
| E Allen St, Exit 15 | 2 |
| I 89 S, Exit 18 | 2 |
| I-89 N Mm 98.5 | 2 |
| I-89 N, Mm 79.6 | 2 |
| I-89 South, 1-89 | 2 |
| Malletts Bay Ave, Pine St | 2 |
Burlington at a glance
| Population | 44,432 |
| Land area | 10.3 sq mi |
| Density | 4,313 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Chittenden 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 | 12 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 24 | +103% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 35 | +48% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 28 | -19% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 12 a year in the 1990s and 28 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Burlington
How many truck crashes happen in Burlington?
Chittenden County has had 379 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 163 people and killing 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Burlington?
January has the most truck crashes in Chittenden County, 11.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Burlington?
Since 2015, Chittenden County has reported 16 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.2% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Burlington compared with Vermont?
Chittenden County records 19.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 28.2 across Vermont.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Burlington?
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.