ZIP 18034 (Center Valley, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 18034: 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 |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Lehigh County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in ZIP 18034: I-78 deadliest road: 6 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 18034 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.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.5% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 7.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 4.5% of truck crashes, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-78 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). Next come SR-309 (4), US-222 (4) and I-476 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 114 crashes, 3.1% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (11%).
They recorded 5.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 18034 fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 |
| SR-309 | 4 |
| US-222 | 4 |
| I-476 | 3 |
| US-22 | 3 |
| SR-145 | 2 |
| SR-378 | 2 |
| Mu-American Pkwy | 1 |
| SR-0121 | 1 |
| SR-0663 | 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 18034 at a glance
| Population | 9,209 |
| Density | 323 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $153,200 |
| Median home value | $477,825 |
| Home ownership | 88% |
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. NHTSA counts 4.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 18034
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 18034?
Since 2015, 3,737 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lehigh County (1,632 injured, 85 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 18034?
Since 2015, I-78 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 18034: 6.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 18034?
Truck crashes in Lehigh County peak in October, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 18034?
Since 2015, Lehigh County has reported 114 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 18034 compare with Pennsylvania?
Lehigh County records 83.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.2 across Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 18034?
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.