ZIP 01730 (Bedford, MA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 01730: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Middlesex 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
1.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Middlesex County compares with Massachusetts
Middlesex County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Middlesex County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Middlesex County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 23.2 | 22.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.7% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.2% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 7% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.4% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.8% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.4% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.5% | 19.2% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Compared with Massachusetts, Middlesex County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Middlesex County: November more garbage-truck crashes happen in November than in any other month (12%).
Overview
Since 2015, 4,505 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Middlesex County. They injured 1,863 people and killed 73.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.4% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across Massachusetts.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (9.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 6.2% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 01730 happened on I-495 (4), I-93 (4), Common St (2), I-95 (2) and Alcott Rd (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 255 of the truck crashes here, or 5.7%, compared with 5.3% in Massachusetts.
Their busiest month is November, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.2, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 01730 fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Middlesex County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 30.4% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Massachusetts; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Middlesex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 4 |
| I-93 | 4 |
| Common St | 2 |
| I-95 | 2 |
| Alcott Rd | 1 |
| Franklin St | 1 |
| Pleasant St | 1 |
| SR-110 | 1 |
| SR-126 | 1 |
| SR-4 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Middlesex County) |
|---|---|
| Main St | 52 |
| Rte 495 | 24 |
| Washington St | 19 |
| Ballardvale St | 19 |
| Main Street | 16 |
| Boston Post Rd | 16 |
| Rte 90 E X 123 | 15 |
| Lowell St | 13 |
ZIP 01730 at a glance
| Population | 14,707 |
| Density | 456 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $172,400 |
| Median home value | $903,795 |
| Home ownership | 69% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Middlesex 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 | 107 | — | 5.5 |
| 2000s | 284 | +165% | 4.7 |
| 2010s | 398 | +40% | 4.5 |
| 2020s | 406 | +2% | 7.0 |
In the 1990s about 107 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 406. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.2 a year in 2016–19 and 7.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 01730
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 01730?
4,505 truck crashes have been reported in Middlesex County since 2015, with 73 deaths and 1,863 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 01730?
January has the most truck crashes in Middlesex County, 9.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 01730?
Garbage trucks were involved in 255 reported crashes in Middlesex County since 2015 (5.7% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 01730 compared with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Middlesex County has 23.2 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 01730?
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.