How Many Crashes Happen on Route 25 Between Wareham and the Bourne Bridge?

From 2022 through 2024, MassDOT crash records place 310 crashes on Route 25 in Wareham, Plymouth and Bourne, one of them fatal. The share that injured someone, 21.6 percent, is ordinary for a highway. What sets the road apart is how its crashes happen when conditions turn: on wet, snowy or icy pavement, or outside full daylight, 74 percent of Route 25 crashes involved a single vehicle, against 51 percent on other Massachusetts roads posted at 65 miles per hour. In dry daylight, the difference almost disappears.

If you were hurt in a crash on Route 25 and want to talk through what comes next, call Jim Glaser Law at (617) JIM-WINS. The line is answered 24 hours a day. The first telephone consultation is free. This page is general information about Massachusetts law and public crash data, not legal advice about your situation.

Where Route 25 Runs

Route 25 is the divided highway that carries traffic from the junction of Interstate 495 and Interstate 195 in Wareham east through a corner of Plymouth to Bourne, where it meets the approach to the Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal. It is one of the two highway routes onto Cape Cod; the other, Route 3, leads to the Sagamore Bridge. Wareham and Plymouth are in Plymouth County; Bourne is in Barnstable County.

How These Numbers Were Counted

The counts come from the MassDOT IMPACT open crash data for 2022, 2023 and 2024, counted by the road inventory name, the street name MassDOT attaches to a crash when it maps the location, rather than the typed roadway field, which State Police highway reports often leave blank.

1. One name was used. Every crash carrying the inventory name Route 25 falls in Wareham, Plymouth or Bourne, and MassDOT classes the road as a principal arterial.
2. Ramps were left out. 42 crashes over the three years were on ramps named for Route 25 (13, 13 and 16 by year), including the ramps to Routes 6 and 28 and to Interstate 195, and none is in the totals.
3. The totals were reconciled. The town counts add up exactly to the road total in each year: 102 in 2022, 118 in 2023 and 90 in 2024.
4. The comparison is roads posted at 65. 211 of the 310 crashes carry a posted limit of 65 miles per hour, so the main benchmark is all 26,228 Massachusetts crashes on roads posted at 65 over the same years.
5. The finding was tested against the obvious explanations. The single vehicle share was recounted in dry daylight only, with animal strikes removed, and year by year, as described below.

The Three-Year Record

Measure	Route 25	Roads posted at 65 mph
Crashes, 2022 to 2024	310	26,228
Fatal crashes	1	148
Crashes with a non-fatal injury	67	6,348
Injury share	21.6%	24.2%
Single vehicle crashes, all conditions	51.3%	36.5%
Single vehicle, dry pavement in daylight	24.1%	21.4%
Single vehicle, every other condition	74.0%	50.9%
Pavement not dry	32.9%	24.3%
Guardrail first struck	15.8%	11.6%

Severity is not the story. The injury share, the percentage of crashes in which at least one person had a non-fatal injury, is 21.6 percent, a little below the 24.2 percent for roads posted at 65 and the 22.4 percent for the State Police’s other crashes in Plymouth and Barnstable counties. The single fatal crash is about what the 65 mph rate would predict for 310 crashes (1.7). Route 25 is not, on these records, a road where crashes hurt people more often.

Conditions are the story. A single vehicle crash is one in which only one motor vehicle is involved, such as a car sliding off the road into a guardrail. Overall, 159 of the 310 crashes on Route 25 were single vehicle crashes, 51.3 percent, against 36.5 percent on roads posted at 65. The test that matters is where that excess comes from:

• In dry daylight, Route 25 looks ordinary. Of the 141 crashes on dry pavement in daylight, 34 were single vehicle crashes, 24.1 percent, close to the 21.4 percent on other 65 mph roads in the same conditions.
• In every other condition, it does not. Of the 169 crashes on wet, snowy, icy or slushy pavement, or at night, dawn or dusk, 125 were single vehicle crashes, 74.0 percent, against 50.9 percent on other 65 mph roads in those conditions.
• It held every year. Outside dry daylight the single vehicle share was 80.6, 67.3 and 73.1 percent in 2022, 2023 and 2024, against 53.3, 49.4 and 50.0 percent on the benchmark.
• Deer do not explain it. Deer were the first thing struck in 28 crashes, 9.0 percent, against 7.0 percent. With every animal strike removed, single vehicle crashes are still 46.0 percent of the rest, against 31.5 percent.

The pavement record points the same way. A third of Route 25 crashes (102 of 310) happened on a surface that was not dry, against about a quarter on other 65 mph roads. Wet pavement accounts for 67 crashes, 21.6 percent, against 16.8 percent; snow, slush and ice for 32, 10.3 percent, against 6.9 percent. The records describe conditions; they do not record why drivers lost control, and this page does not guess at a cause.

Two things the records do not show. Darkness on an unlighted road is not unusual here: 21.9 percent of crashes, close to 23.0 percent on 65 mph roads. And there is no meaningful summer spike, despite the Cape traffic. July had the most crashes (34), but June through August together hold 27.1 percent of the total, against 25.6 percent on other 65 mph roads.

Other features of the record:

• A guardrail was the first thing struck in 49 crashes, 15.8 percent, against 11.6 percent, and 17 of those 49 injured someone.
• Rear-end crashes are 28.1 percent (87), against 37.9 percent, except near the bridge (see Bourne below).
• The State Police wrote 306 of the 310 reports.
• The one fatal crash was on October 26, 2024, at about 9 a.m. in Wareham: a single passenger car that overturned on dry pavement in clear weather.

Answer Capsule

MassDOT crash records for 2022 through 2024 place 310 crashes on Route 25 in Wareham, Plymouth and Bourne, counted on the inventory name Route 25 with 42 ramp crashes excluded: 102, 118 and 90 by year, 145 in Wareham, 127 in Bourne and 38 in Plymouth. One was fatal and 67 involved a non-fatal injury, an injury share of 21.6 percent, ordinary for a 65 mph highway. The distinctive pattern is conditions: on wet, snowy or icy pavement, or outside daylight, 74.0 percent of Route 25 crashes involved a single vehicle against 50.9 percent on other Massachusetts roads posted at 65, every year, while in dry daylight the shares are close (24.1 and 21.4 percent). Massachusetts law requires a speed that is reasonable and proper for traffic and conditions under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 17, whatever the posted limit. This is general information and not legal advice.

What This Means in Each Town

Wareham. 145 crashes, 8.4 percent of the 1,716 recorded in the town over the three years, and 1 of its 9 fatal crashes. Nearly six in ten of Wareham’s Route 25 crashes (84 of 145) involved a single vehicle. Counted by the inventory name, Route 25 had 44 crashes in Wareham in 2024, which would rank second on the town’s road list behind Cranberry Highway (124) and well ahead of Marion Road (22). It does not appear on the Wareham crash report road list at all, because that list is built from the typed roadway field that State Police highway reports often leave blank.

Bourne. 127 crashes, 5.8 percent of the town’s 2,172. Bourne’s pattern is different from the rest of the road. More than half of its Route 25 crashes, 71 of 127, carry a posted limit below 65 miles per hour, which places them on the slower approach to the bridge, and rear-end crashes make up 35.4 percent of Bourne’s total (45), against 28.1 percent for the whole road. Single vehicle crashes are still the largest group (53). With 32 crashes in 2024, Route 25 would sit second on Bourne’s road list, just behind MacArthur Boulevard (35). See the Bourne crash report.

Plymouth. 38 crashes on the short stretch of Route 25 inside the town, 1.4 percent of Plymouth’s 2,735, and 22 of them single vehicle crashes. Plymouth’s busy roads are elsewhere: State Road, Long Pond Road and Samoset Street lead its 2024 list. See the Plymouth crash report and car accident help in Plymouth.

The Law That Applies to a Crash on Route 25

The posted limit is a ceiling, not a safe speed. Massachusetts law asks for more than staying under 65. M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 17 requires that no one drive at a speed “greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public,” and directs drivers to decrease speed when a special hazard exists, including by reason of weather. On a road where wet and icy conditions show up so clearly in the crash record, that rule is usually the center of a fault dispute. See is speeding a crime in Massachusetts.

Your own policy pays first. Under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 34A, personal injury protection (PIP), the no-fault part of every Massachusetts auto policy, pays medical expenses and part of lost wages up to at least $8,000 “without regard to negligence or gross negligence or fault of any kind.” That matters on a road where many crashes involve one car and no other driver to claim against. A PIP claim must be presented as soon as practicable and within two years under c. 90, sec. 34M. See how PIP works in Massachusetts.

A single vehicle crash can still have someone else at fault. A car that slides off the road may have been cut off, forced to swerve around a stopped vehicle, or struck by debris. The police report records the first harmful event, not every cause. Witnesses and photographs taken at the scene are what separate a true single vehicle crash from one another driver set in motion.

A claim about the road itself is limited. Under M.G.L. c. 81, sec. 18, the Commonwealth is liable for injuries caused by a defect within the limits of the constructed traveled roadway of a state highway, with notice to the department, but recovery cannot exceed one fifth of one percent of the town’s valuation or $4,000. The same section excludes injuries caused by the want of a railing, and injuries during construction, reconstruction or repair. See suing the government in Massachusetts.

Pain and suffering has a threshold. Under c. 231, sec. 6D, a person hurt in a motor vehicle crash in Massachusetts can recover for pain and suffering only if reasonable and necessary medical expenses are in excess of $2,000, or the injury is a death, the loss of a body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, a described loss of sight or hearing, or a fracture.

Shared fault reduces a recovery but does not always bar it. Under c. 231, sec. 85, recovery is allowed as long as the injured person’s own negligence “was not greater than the total amount of negligence attributable to the person or persons against whom recovery is sought,” with damages reduced by that share. See how fault is determined.

Where the case is filed depends on where the parties live. M.G.L. c. 223, sec. 1 provides that the action is brought “in the county where one of them lives or has his usual place of business.” A crash in Bourne does not by itself put the case in Barnstable County, and a crash in Wareham does not by itself put it in Plymouth County. The Plymouth County venue guide lists the courts.

The deadline is three years. Under c. 260, sec. 2A, actions of tort “shall be commenced only within three years next after the cause of action accrues.”

Who you may claim against	When it applies	What limits it
Your own insurer (PIP)	Any covered crash, whoever was at fault	At least $8,000; present within two years
The other driver	Another driver caused or contributed to the crash	Fault share under c. 231, sec. 85; pain and suffering threshold in sec. 6D
The Commonwealth	A defect in the traveled roadway of a state highway	Cap of $4,000 or one fifth of one percent of valuation; no claim for want of a railing

What to Do After a Crash on Route 25

1. Get the vehicle fully onto the shoulder or off at the next exit if it moves, and turn on hazard lights.
2. Stay out of the travel lanes. Traffic toward the bridge can back up quickly, and rear-end crashes are common near Bourne.
3. Call 911 and give the nearest exit or mile marker. The State Police wrote almost every report on this road. Get the report number before the trooper leaves.
4. Get medical care the same day, even if the injury seems minor. PIP under c. 90, sec. 34A covers the first bills regardless of fault.
5. Photograph the pavement, the weather, the lighting, the vehicle’s final position and any damaged guardrail. Conditions run through this road’s record, and wet or icy pavement can be gone within hours.
6. Get the names of witnesses, especially anyone who saw another vehicle swerve, stop or shed debris before a single vehicle crash.
7. File the Massachusetts crash report within five days. Under c. 90, sec. 26, a driver in a crash where anyone was killed or injured, or with damage over $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property, must report in writing to the Registrar and send a copy to the police department with jurisdiction. See how to report a car accident in Massachusetts.
8. Notify your own insurer promptly, and do not give a recorded statement to another driver’s insurer before you understand the claim.

What These Numbers Do Not Show

• Risk per mile or per trip. The records count crashes, not traffic. Nothing here says a driver is more likely to crash on Route 25 than on another road.
• Why conditions matter so much here. The records show that the single vehicle excess sits outside dry daylight; they do not say whether speed, road design, drainage or traffic mix explains it.
• Bridge traffic. The Bourne Bridge and its rotary are not part of this count, and nothing here measures bridge volumes.
• Ramps and interchanges, including the Interstate 495 and Interstate 195 junction. The 42 ramp crashes are left out.
• Anything after 2024. These are the three most recent complete years in the open data.

Key terms

• Road inventory name: the street name MassDOT attaches to a crash record when it maps the location; for this road it is Route 25.
• Single vehicle crash: a crash involving only one motor vehicle, such as leaving the road and striking a guardrail, tree or animal.
• Injury share: the percentage of crashes in which at least one person had a non-fatal injury.
• Dry daylight: crashes recorded on a dry road surface with daylight as the light condition, the comparison used here to separate the road from the weather.
• Reasonable and proper speed: the standard in M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 17 that a driver’s speed must suit traffic, the road and conditions, whatever the posted limit.
• Personal injury protection (PIP): the part of a Massachusetts auto policy that pays medical bills and lost wages up to at least $8,000 for each person, whoever caused the crash.

For the wider picture, see the Cape Cod crash data, the Plymouth County crash data, the Interstate 195 crash data, the Interstate 495 crash data, the Route 6 crash data, the Massachusetts road surface crash data and the Massachusetts deer crash data. If you were hurt on the way to the Cape, see Cape Cod car accident injury claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many crashes happen on Route 25 in Massachusetts?

A: MassDOT records show 310 crashes on Route 25 from 2022 through 2024: 102, 118 and 90 by year. Wareham recorded 145, Bourne 127 and Plymouth 38. The 42 crashes on Route 25 ramps over the same period are not included.

Q: Is Route 25 dangerous?

A: Its severity is ordinary: 21.6 percent of crashes injured someone, against 24.2 percent on other roads posted at 65, and there was one fatal crash in three years. Its distinctive pattern is conditions. Outside dry daylight, 74 percent of its crashes involved a single vehicle. The records count crashes, not traffic, so they cannot say whether the road is riskier per mile.

Q: Why do so many Route 25 crashes involve only one vehicle?

A: The records show where it happens rather than why. In dry daylight the single vehicle share (24.1 percent) is close to other 65 mph roads (21.4 percent). On wet, snowy or icy pavement, or at night, dawn or dusk, it rises to 74.0 percent, against 50.9 percent. Deer strikes do not explain the gap.

Q: Do Route 25 crashes go up in the summer?

A: Not meaningfully. July had the most crashes of any month, 34 over three years, but June through August together hold 27.1 percent of the total, close to the 25.6 percent on other roads posted at 65.

Q: Is it legal to drive 65 on Route 25 in a snowstorm?

A: The posted limit is a maximum. M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 17 requires a speed that is reasonable and proper having regard to traffic, the use of the way and the safety of the public, and directs drivers to slow down for hazards including weather. A driver going the limit in bad conditions can still be found negligent.

Q: Who pays if I slid off Route 25 and no other car was involved?

A: Your own PIP coverage under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 34A pays medical expenses and part of lost wages up to at least $8,000 regardless of fault. If another driver forced the swerve, a claim against that driver may also exist, which is why witnesses and photographs matter.

Q: How long do I have to bring a claim after a crash on Route 25?

A: An action for personal injuries must be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues under M.G.L. c. 260, sec. 2A. A claim for PIP benefits must be presented as soon as practicable and within two years of the accident under c. 90, sec. 34M.

Q: Is Jimmy Knows AI giving me legal advice?

A: No. This page is general information about Massachusetts law and public crash data for educational purposes. It is not legal advice for your situation and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your own case, call Jim Glaser Law at (617) JIM-WINS.

Talking to a Lawyer

Crashes on Route 25 tend to happen when the road is wet, icy or dark, and a single vehicle crash is often less simple than the report suggests. Those cases turn on conditions at the scene and on evidence that is gone within hours. If you were hurt, call Jim Glaser Law at (617) JIM-WINS. The line is answered 24 hours a day. The first telephone consultation is free.