ZIP 18046 (East Texas, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 18046: 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 Lehigh County: 4.5% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
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
The worst month is October with 9.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 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
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 18046 since 2015 were spread across roads: I-78 (12), US-222 (12), I-476 (3), US-22 (3) and SR-145 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 114 crashes, 3.1% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is September, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 5.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 18046 fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lehigh County.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in September; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 | 12 |
| US-222 | 12 |
| I-476 | 3 |
| US-22 | 3 |
| SR-145 | 2 |
| Schantz Rd | 2 |
| Mu-American Pkwy | 1 |
| SR-1022 | 1 |
| SR-146 | 1 |
| SR-2007 | 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 18046 at a glance
| Population | 201 |
| Density | 4,253 per sq mi |
| Home ownership | 100% |
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 |
In the 1990s about 170 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 323. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 18046
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 18046?
Since 2015, 3,737 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lehigh County (1,632 injured, 85 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 18046?
Truck crashes in Lehigh County peak in October, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 18046?
114 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lehigh County since 2015, 3.1% of all truck crashes.
How does ZIP 18046 compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
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 18046?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.