ZIP 14261 (Buffalo, NY) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 14261: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Erie 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
1.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Erie County compares with New York State
Erie County against New York State and the US, 2015–2022 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Erie County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2022) | Erie County | New York State | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.1 | 28.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 45% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.73 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 40% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.9% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.3% | 25.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.0% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.9% | 41.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.0% | 22.1% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Erie County has lower values than New York for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in ZIP 14261: I-90 4 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of ZIP 14261.
Overview
Police reported 3,300 crashes involving commercial trucks in Erie County since 2015: 1,783 people were injured and 43 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (7.1%).
November through March accounts for 43.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.8% in New York.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
13.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.4% across New York.
Where crashes happen
I-90 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 14261 with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-290 (2), SR-130 (2) and SR-33 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 75 of the truck crashes here, or 2.3%, compared with 3.6% in New York.
Their busiest month is April, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.5, vs 1.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 14261 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-90 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- 13.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above New York; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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, 2024 and 2025 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 Erie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 4 |
| I-290 | 2 |
| SR-130 | 2 |
| SR-33 | 2 |
| SR-78 | 2 |
| CR-290 Wehrle Dr | 1 |
| I-190 | 1 |
| Lathrop St | 1 |
| Lockport Rd | 1 |
| SR-265 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Erie County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 16 |
| Fillmore | 2 |
| I-290 | 2 |
| Abbott Rd At Berg Rd | 1 |
| Broadway | 1 |
| Eastbound I-90 | 1 |
| Fillmore Ave. | 1 |
| George Urban | 1 |
ZIP 14261 at a glance
| Population | 5,033 |
| Density | 1,761 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Erie 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 | 186 | — | 8.1 |
| 2000s | 234 | +26% | 4.9 |
| 2010s | 343 | +46% | 4.2 |
| 2020s | 360 | +5% | 4.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 186 a year in the 1990s and 360 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.5 a year in 2016–19 and 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 14261
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 14261?
Erie County has had 3,300 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,783 people and killing 43.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 14261?
Since 2015, I-90 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 14261: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 14261?
January has the most truck crashes in Erie County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 14261?
75 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Erie County since 2015, 2.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 14261 compared with New York?
Per 100,000 residents, Erie County has 40.1 truck crashes a year; New York has 28.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 14261?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023, 2024 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.