ZIP 17261 (South Mountain, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 17261: 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 stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes.
ZIP 17261 at a glance: I-81 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 17261 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,407 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Franklin County. They injured 593 people and killed 58.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 10.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.9%.
November through March accounts for 41.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (7.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 6.7% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
I-81 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 17261 with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-316 (2), SR-0997 (1) and SR-16 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
36 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.6% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is October, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 4.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 17261 fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-81, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
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) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 6 |
| SR-316 | 2 |
| SR-0997 | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
| SR-997 | 1 |
| Ssr-3016 Wayne Hwy | 1 |
| US-11 | 1 |
| US-30 | 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 17261 at a glance
| Population | 0 |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 87 a year in the 1990s and 130 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.5 a year in 2016–19, 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 17261
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 17261?
Since 2015, 1,407 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Franklin County (593 injured, 58 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in ZIP 17261?
Since 2015, I-81 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 17261: 6.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 17261?
The worst month is October: 10.0% of truck crashes in Franklin County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 17261?
Since 2015, Franklin County has reported 36 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 17261 compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 75.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Franklin County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 17261?
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.