ZIP 17236 (Mercersburg, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 17236: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Franklin 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Franklin County compares with Pennsylvania
Franklin County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Franklin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Franklin County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.6 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.7% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 26% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 24.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.7% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.3% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.1% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Franklin County is lower on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes.
What stands out in ZIP 17236: SR-16 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 17236 since 2015.
Overview
Franklin County has recorded 1,407 truck crashes since 2015, with 593 people injured and 58 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.0% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.3% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 7.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 6.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
SR-16 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 17236 with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-30 (2), SR-30 (1) and SR-456 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 36 crashes, 2.6% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is October, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 4.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 17236 fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-16 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: October is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Franklin County.
- 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 Franklin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-16 | 4 |
| US-30 | 2 |
| SR-30 | 1 |
| SR-456 | 1 |
| SR-995 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Franklin County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 478 |
| I-6000 | 134 |
| SR-0016 | 130 |
| SR-0011 | 113 |
| SR-0030 | 111 |
| SR-0997 | 47 |
| SR-0316 | 38 |
| SR-0696 | 23 |
ZIP 17236 at a glance
| Population | 8,845 |
| Density | 27 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $79,271 |
| Median home value | $234,069 |
| Home ownership | 77% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Franklin 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 | 87 | — | 3.4 |
| 2000s | 99 | +15% | 3.8 |
| 2010s | 85 | -15% | 3.4 |
| 2020s | 130 | +54% | 3.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 87 to 130. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.5 a year in 2016–19 and 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 17236
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 17236?
1,407 truck crashes have been reported in Franklin County since 2015, with 58 deaths and 593 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 17236?
Since 2015, SR-16 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 17236: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 17236?
Truck crashes in Franklin County peak in October, with 10.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 17236?
36 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Franklin County since 2015, 2.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 17236 compare with Pennsylvania?
Franklin County records 75.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 17236?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.