ZIP 17120 (Harrisburg, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 17120: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Dauphin 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
5.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Dauphin County compares with Pennsylvania
Dauphin County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dauphin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 93.8 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 19% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 69% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.7% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.8% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.1% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Dauphin County has lower values than Pennsylvania for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Dauphin County: 1 in 88 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.1%, vs 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,229 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dauphin County. They injured 1,233 people and killed 62.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (9.4% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 40.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 5.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
I-83 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 17120 with 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-81 (7), I-76 (3) and SR-8004 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 35 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is March, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 5.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 17120 fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-83, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Dauphin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-83 | 9 |
| I-81 | 7 |
| I-76 | 3 |
| SR-8004 | 3 |
| I-283 | 2 |
| SR-114 | 2 |
| SR-230 | 2 |
| SR-8003 | 2 |
| US-22 | 2 |
| I-0083 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dauphin County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 856 |
| I-0083 | 545 |
| SR-0022 | 325 |
| SR-0300 | 146 |
| I-6000 | 142 |
| I-0283 | 132 |
| SR-0230 | 98 |
| SR-0039 | 61 |
ZIP 17120 at a glance
| Population | 0 |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dauphin 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 | 192 | — | 3.8 |
| 2000s | 216 | +12% | 4.9 |
| 2010s | 222 | +3% | 4.6 |
| 2020s | 265 | +20% | 4.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 192 a year in the 1990s and 265 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 4.2 a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 17120
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 17120?
3,229 truck crashes have been reported in Dauphin County since 2015, with 62 deaths and 1,233 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 17120?
NHTSA data shows I-83 with 9 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 17120 since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 17120?
Truck crashes in Dauphin County peak in August, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 17120?
Since 2015, Dauphin County has reported 35 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 17120 compare with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 93.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dauphin County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 17120?
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.