ZIP 18032 (Catasauqua, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 18032: 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. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in ZIP 18032: I-78 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 18032: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 3,737 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lehigh County since 2015: 1,632 people were injured and 85 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
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.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 7.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of ZIP 18032 is I-78, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come US-22 (5), US-222 (4) and SR-145 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
114 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.1% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is September, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 5.5 deaths compared with 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 18032 fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-78; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; 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
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 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 | 4 |
| SR-145 | 3 |
| SR-248 | 2 |
| SR-378 | 2 |
| Schantz Rd | 2 |
| I-476 | 1 |
| Mu-American Pkwy | 1 |
| SR-0033 | 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 18032 at a glance
| Population | 9,555 |
| Density | 1,836 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $81,098 |
| Median home value | $222,812 |
| Home ownership | 75% |
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 large-truck crashes: 4.0 a year in 2016–19, 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 18032
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 18032?
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 18032?
NHTSA data shows I-78 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 18032 since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 18032?
Truck crashes in Lehigh County peak in October, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 18032?
Since 2015, Lehigh County has reported 114 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 18032 compared with Pennsylvania?
Per 100,000 residents, Lehigh County has 83.0 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 18032?
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.