ZIP 18018 (Bethlehem, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 18018: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Lehigh 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
5.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lehigh County compares with Pennsylvania
Lehigh County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lehigh County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 83.0 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 14% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 50% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.1% | 24.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.8% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 7% below the state |
| After dark | 26.1% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Lehigh County sits below Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for ZIP 18018: I-78 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 18018: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,737 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lehigh County. They injured 1,632 people and killed 85.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in November (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 39.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (7.1%).
4.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of ZIP 18018 is I-78, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-22 (5), US-222 (3) and SR-145 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 114 of the truck crashes here, or 3.1%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is September, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 5.5, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 18018 fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lehigh County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-78; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Lehigh County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-78 | 6 |
| US-22 | 5 |
| US-222 | 3 |
| SR-145 | 2 |
| SR-248 | 2 |
| SR-309 | 2 |
| SR-33 | 2 |
| SR-378 | 2 |
| I-476 | 1 |
| Mu-American Pkwy | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lehigh County) |
|---|---|
| I-0078 | 880 |
| I-7476 | 412 |
| SR-0022 | 400 |
| SR-0309 | 234 |
| SR-0222 | 190 |
| SR-0100 | 152 |
| SR-0145 | 120 |
| SR-1002 | 79 |
ZIP 18018 at a glance
| Population | 32,965 |
| Density | 2,461 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $75,417 |
| Median home value | $250,045 |
| Home ownership | 53% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lehigh 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 | 170 | — | 4.9 |
| 2000s | 236 | +39% | 4.6 |
| 2010s | 256 | +8% | 4.9 |
| 2020s | 323 | +26% | 4.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 170 a year in the 1990s and 323 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 4.0 a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 18018
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 18018?
Lehigh County has had 3,737 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,632 people and killing 85.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in ZIP 18018?
I-78 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 18018 since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 18018?
Truck crashes in Lehigh County peak in October, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 18018?
114 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lehigh County since 2015, 3.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 18018 compared with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 83.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lehigh County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 18018?
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.