Sumas, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sumas: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sumas and Whatcom County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Whatcom County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 550 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Whatcom County compares with Washington
Whatcom County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Whatcom County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Whatcom County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 20.0 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 22% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 9% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.49 | 28% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.1% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 17% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.3% | 24.8% | 23.7% | 18% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.2% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.1% | 43.8% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 24.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Whatcom County has lower values than Washington for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Whatcom County: January 10.2% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 550 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Whatcom County. They injured 73 people and killed 16.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
Sumas had 17 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Whatcom County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.2% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (4.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.1% of truck crashes, against 43.8% across Washington.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.6%).
8.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.7% across Washington.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Sumas happened on SR-546 (2), SR-9 (2) and CR-EVERSON Goshen Rd (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 13 crashes, 2.4% of the total, against 2.2% across Washington.
Route planning tips for Sumas fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Whatcom County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-546 | 2 |
| SR-9 | 2 |
| CR-EVERSON Goshen Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Whatcom County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-539*003.50 | 3 |
| Sr-539*008.57 | 3 |
| Sr-546*003.00 | 3 |
| Sr-9*086.00 | 3 |
| E Sunset Dr Blk 1800 | 2 |
| Everson Goshen Rd Blk 6200 | 2 |
| Everson Goshen Rd/E Smith Rd | 2 |
| Everson Goshen Road/Central Road | 2 |
Sumas at a glance
| Population | 1,683 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,147 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 98295) | $98,965 |
| Median home value (ZIP 98295) | $456,112 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Whatcom 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 | 27 | — | 1.7 |
| 2000s | 40 | +44% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 44 | +11% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 48 | +8% | 1.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 27 to 48. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sumas
How common are truck crashes in Sumas?
Since 2015, 550 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Whatcom County (73 injured, 16 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Sumas?
Truck crashes in Whatcom County peak in January, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Sumas?
13 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Whatcom County since 2015, 2.4% of all truck crashes.
How does Sumas compare with Washington for truck crashes?
Whatcom County records 20.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 25.8 across Washington.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Sumas?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.