Big Lake, AK truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Big Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Big Lake and Matanuska-Susitna Borough, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Matanuska-Susitna Borough numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 52 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Matanuska-Susitna Borough compares with Alaska
Matanuska-Susitna Borough against Alaska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Matanuska-Susitna Borough stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Alaska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 4.8 | 5.7 | 49.7 | 16% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 25.5 | 11.6 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.63 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 33% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 37.2% | 50.3% | 6.2% | 26% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 20.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.5% | 20.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.0% | 54.5% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 39.2% | 36.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Matanuska-Susitna Borough has lower values than Alaska for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Alaska on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough at a glance: January worst month: 19.2% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 52 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. They injured 33 people and killed 14.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 64 days.
Big Lake had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Matanuska-Susitna Borough numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 19.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 1.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.0% of truck crashes, against 54.5% across Alaska.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 9.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 37.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Alaska: 50.3%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Big Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-3 (3) and Point Mackenzie Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.9% share (Alaska: 2.9%).
Route planning tips for Big Lake fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2020 and 2021, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-3 | 3 |
| Point Mackenzie Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Matanuska-Susitna Borough) |
|---|---|
| Mp 133 Parks Highway | 2 |
| Big Lake Rd And Parks Hwy | 1 |
| Big Lake Rd At Intersection With Birch Lake Drive | 1 |
| E Parks Hwy, Wasilla, Ak | 1 |
| Glenn Highway And Cienna Avenue | 1 |
| Glenn Hihgway And Pinochle Lane | 1 |
| Glenn Hwy & Arctic Ave | 1 |
| Glenn Hwy 111 Ft S Of Mp 31 | 1 |
Big Lake at a glance
| Land area | 115.3 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 99652) | $78,578 |
| Median home value (ZIP 99652) | $279,951 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Matanuska-Susitna Borough 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 | 2 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 9 | +420% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 11 | +18% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 2 | -81% | 2.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 2. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Big Lake
How common are truck crashes in Big Lake?
Matanuska-Susitna Borough has had 52 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 33 people and killing 14.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Big Lake?
January has the most truck crashes in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 19.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Big Lake?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Matanuska-Susitna Borough since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Big Lake compared with Alaska?
Matanuska-Susitna Borough records 4.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 5.7 across Alaska.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Big Lake?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020 and 2021; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.