Tacoma, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Tacoma: 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Tacoma compares with Washington
Tacoma against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Tacoma stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Tacoma | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.2 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.3% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 76% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.3% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.5% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.5% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Tacoma has lower values than Washington for on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Tacoma: I-5 22 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 15 miles of Tacoma.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,015 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Tacoma. They injured 208 people and killed 41.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.7% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.2%).
November through March accounts for 43.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.8% in Washington.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 8.0% of truck crashes.
2.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.7% across Washington.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Tacoma is I-5, with 22 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-167 (11), SR-99 (8) and SR-7 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
23 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (Washington: 2.2%).
Their busiest month is January, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 4.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Tacoma fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-5, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Tacoma
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 22 |
| SR-167 | 11 |
| SR-99 | 8 |
| SR-7 | 4 |
| SR-509 | 3 |
| 70th Ave E | 2 |
| SR-16 | 2 |
| SR-161 | 2 |
| SR-181 | 2 |
| SR-512 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tacoma) |
|---|---|
| Sr-512*001.00 | 15 |
| Sr-509*002.00 | 15 |
| Sr-16*001.00 | 13 |
| Sr-512*005.00 | 7 |
| Marine View Dr Blk 1900 | 6 |
| Sr-509*002.94 | 6 |
| Sr-512*002.00 | 6 |
| I-5 Mp 135.00 | 5 |
Tacoma at a glance
| Population | 228,202 |
| Land area | 49.7 sq mi |
| Density | 4,590 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tacoma 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 | 64 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 77 | +21% | 5.4 |
| 2010s | 84 | +8% | 4.5 |
| 2020s | 84 | +1% | 8.0 |
In the 1990s about 64 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 84. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 7.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Tacoma
How common are truck crashes in Tacoma?
Since 2015, 1,015 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Tacoma (208 injured, 41 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Tacoma?
I-5 had 22 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Tacoma since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Tacoma?
Truck crashes in Tacoma peak in March, with 9.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Tacoma?
Since 2015, Tacoma has reported 23 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Tacoma compare with Washington?
Per 100,000 residents, Tacoma has 38.2 truck crashes a year; Washington has 25.8.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Tacoma?
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.