Newcastle, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Newcastle: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Newcastle and King County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use King County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.6 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How King County compares with Washington
King County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where King County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | King County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 22.1 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 14% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.3% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 56% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.8% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.5% | 20.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
King County has lower values than Washington for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
Newcastle at a glance: 1.6× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of Newcastle (4.2 → 7.0).
Overview
King County has recorded 6,019 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,063 people injured and 156 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Newcastle had 9 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use King County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in May (7.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.5% of truck crashes, against 43.8% across Washington.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 7.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Washington: 9.7%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-5 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (11). After it: SR-181 (5), I-405 (4) and I-90 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 180 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 2.2% in Washington.
Their busiest month is April, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.6 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Newcastle fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-5; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in King County.
- 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 King County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 11 |
| SR-181 | 5 |
| I-405 | 4 |
| I-90 | 2 |
| SR-509 | 2 |
| SR-900 | 2 |
| SR-99 | 2 |
| 1st Ave S | 1 |
| 30th Ave | 1 |
| 37th Ave S | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (King County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-167*026.00 | 24 |
| Sr-167*024.00 | 23 |
| Sr-167*014.00 | 22 |
| Sr-18*026.30 | 19 |
| Sr-167*019.00 | 18 |
| Sr-18*002.00 | 18 |
| Sr-18*001.00 | 17 |
| Sr-18*003.00 | 16 |
Newcastle at a glance
| Population | 13,072 |
| Land area | 4.4 sq mi |
| Density | 2,947 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 98056) | $113,688 |
| Median home value (ZIP 98056) | $795,691 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in King 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 | 330 | — | 10.3 |
| 2000s | 344 | +4% | 8.0 |
| 2010s | 451 | +31% | 7.2 |
| 2020s | 523 | +16% | 14.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 330 to 523. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 10.0 a year in 2016–19 and 14.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Newcastle
How common are truck crashes in Newcastle?
King County has had 6,019 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,063 people and killing 156.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Newcastle?
I-5 had 11 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Newcastle since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Newcastle?
The worst month is October: 9.3% of truck crashes in King County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Newcastle?
Since 2015, King County has reported 180 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Newcastle compared with Washington?
King County records 22.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 25.8 across Washington.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Newcastle?
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.