ZIP 20874 (Germantown, MD) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 20874: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Montgomery 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
2.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Montgomery County compares with Maryland
Montgomery County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Montgomery County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Montgomery County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.8 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 55% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.8% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 2.4% | 6.2% | 19% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 24.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.9% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.1% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Montgomery County has lower values than Maryland for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Montgomery County: 1 in 21 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.8%, against 3.1% for Maryland.
Overview
Police reported 3,957 crashes involving commercial trucks in Montgomery County since 2015: 2,079 people were injured and 38 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.1% of truck crashes, vs 40.4% for Maryland.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.9% of truck crashes, compared with 2.4% in Maryland.
Where crashes happen
I-270 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 20874 with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-355 (2), Ashbury Dr (1) and CR-212 Shady Grove Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
190 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.8% share (Maryland: 3.1%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in September (12% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.2 deaths compared with 1.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 20874 fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-270, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Montgomery County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-270 | 4 |
| SR-355 | 2 |
| Ashbury Dr | 1 |
| CR-212 Shady Grove Rd | 1 |
| CR-3283 | 1 |
| CR-4139 Wightman Rd | 1 |
| CR-681 | 1 |
| CR-846 | 1 |
| I-97 | 1 |
| SR-190 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Montgomery County) |
|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 851 |
| Eisenhower Memorial Hwy | 456 |
| Georgia Ave | 92 |
| Shady Grove Rd | 83 |
| Frederick Rd | 82 |
| Acrs Marked Off Road | 75 |
| New Hampshire Ave | 72 |
| Rockville Pike | 55 |
ZIP 20874 at a glance
| Population | 62,738 |
| Density | 1,068 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $115,022 |
| Median home value | $402,224 |
| Home ownership | 66% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Montgomery 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 | 177 | — | 3.7 |
| 2000s | 206 | +17% | 3.6 |
| 2010s | 262 | +27% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 354 | +35% | 3.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 177 to 354. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.0 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 20874
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 20874?
3,957 truck crashes have been reported in Montgomery County since 2015, with 38 deaths and 2,079 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in ZIP 20874?
Since 2015, I-270 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 20874: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 20874?
Truck crashes in Montgomery County peak in December, with 9.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 20874?
Since 2015, Montgomery County has reported 190 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 20874 compare with Maryland?
The yearly rate is 31.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Montgomery County, vs 49.3 for Maryland.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 20874?
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.