ZIP 18052 (Whitehall, PA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 18052: 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 runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for ZIP 18052: I-78 7 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of ZIP 18052.
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
Truck crashes peak in October (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in November (7.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 39.5% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across 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 18052 is I-78, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-222 (6), US-22 (4) and SR-145 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
114 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.1% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (11%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 5.5, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 18052 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.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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 | 7 |
| US-222 | 6 |
| US-22 | 4 |
| SR-145 | 3 |
| SR-378 | 2 |
| Schantz Rd | 2 |
| I-476 | 1 |
| Mu-American Pkwy | 1 |
| SR-0121 | 1 |
| SR-1045 | 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 18052 at a glance
| Population | 29,451 |
| Density | 892 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $75,665 |
| Median home value | $262,786 |
| Home ownership | 63% |
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. 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 18052
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 18052?
Lehigh County has had 3,737 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,632 people and killing 85.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 18052?
I-78 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 18052 since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 18052?
October has the most truck crashes in Lehigh County, 9.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 18052?
Since 2015, Lehigh County has reported 114 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 18052 compare with Pennsylvania?
The yearly rate is 83.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lehigh County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 18052?
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.