ZIP 01534 (Northbridge, MA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 01534: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Worcester County, 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
3.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Worcester County compares with Massachusetts
Worcester County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Worcester County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Worcester County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.7 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 23% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.3% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.7% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.7% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.8% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Worcester County has lower values than Massachusetts for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Worcester County: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 14% of them.
Overview
Police reported 3,757 crashes involving commercial trucks in Worcester County since 2015: 1,623 people were injured and 63 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (7.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.7% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.4% of truck crashes.
9.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.6% across Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 01534 happened on I-495 (5), I-90 (5), SR-16 (3), US-20 (3) and Central Tpke (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 148 crashes, 3.9% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (14%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.5 deaths compared with 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 01534 fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 9.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Massachusetts; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Worcester County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 5 |
| I-90 | 5 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| US-20 | 3 |
| Central Tpke | 1 |
| SR-146 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Worcester County) |
|---|---|
| Main St | 54 |
| Cambridge St | 49 |
| Hammond St | 26 |
| Southwest Cutoff | 26 |
| Turnpike Rd | 23 |
| Webster St | 19 |
| E Main St | 13 |
| Southbridge St | 12 |
ZIP 01534 at a glance
| Population | 6,230 |
| Density | 253 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $141,250 |
| Median home value | $483,222 |
| Home ownership | 82% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Worcester 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 | 76 | — | 6.7 |
| 2000s | 220 | +190% | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 295 | +34% | 5.3 |
| 2020s | 352 | +19% | 4.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 76 to 352. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 5.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 01534
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 01534?
Worcester County has had 3,757 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,623 people and killing 63.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 01534?
Truck crashes in Worcester County peak in August, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 01534?
Garbage trucks were involved in 148 reported crashes in Worcester County since 2015 (3.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 01534 compared with Massachusetts?
Worcester County records 35.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 22.9 across Massachusetts.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 01534?
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.