ZIP 12185 (Valley Falls, NY) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 12185: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Rensselaer 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
20 of 608 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Rensselaer County compares with New York State
Rensselaer County against New York State and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rensselaer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rensselaer County | New York State | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.4 | 28.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 2.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.73 | 0.49 | 37% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 9% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.3% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.9% | 25.1% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.2% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.7% | 41.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.6% | 22.1% | 24.8% | 25% below the state |
Rensselaer County sits below New York on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Rensselaer County: +89% yearly reported truck crashes went from 30 in the 2000s to 57 in the 2010s.
Overview
Since 2015, 608 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Rensselaer County. They injured 282 people and killed 11.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 6 days.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 10.7% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.1%).
November through March accounts for 41.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.8% in New York.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 11.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (New York: 9.4%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 12185 happened on SR-40 (2), SR-7 (2), I-787 (1), SR-142 (1) and SR-146 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
20 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (New York: 3.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in November (35%).
Route planning tips for ZIP 12185 fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 27.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above New York; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- With 11.3% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above New York), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Crash reporting for 2023 and 2024 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Rensselaer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-40 | 2 |
| SR-7 | 2 |
| I-787 | 1 |
| SR-142 | 1 |
| SR-146 | 1 |
| SR-67 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rensselaer County) |
|---|---|
| Berkshire Spur | 1 |
| Berkshire Spur Bridge | 1 |
| Columbia Tnpk | 1 |
| I-90 | 1 |
| Longwoods Dr. | 1 |
| Morrison Ave | 1 |
| Pinewoods Ave. | 1 |
| SR-2 | 1 |
ZIP 12185 at a glance
| Population | 1,709 |
| Density | 29 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $110,625 |
| Median home value | $209,828 |
| Home ownership | 82% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rensselaer 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 | 30 | +12% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 54 | +78% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 59 | +10% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 27 to 59. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 12185
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 12185?
Rensselaer County has had 608 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 282 people and killing 11.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 12185?
Truck crashes in Rensselaer County peak in December, with 10.7% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 12185?
Garbage trucks were involved in 20 reported crashes in Rensselaer County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in ZIP 12185 compare with New York?
Per 100,000 residents, Rensselaer County has 40.4 truck crashes a year; New York has 28.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 12185?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023 and 2024; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.