Mena, AR truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mena: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mena and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 164 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Polk County compares with Arkansas
Polk County against Arkansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Arkansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.4 | 92.4 | 49.7 | 21% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.45 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.2% | 3.3% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.1% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 15.4% | 13.8% | 13% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.2% | 40.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.1% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Compared with Arkansas, Polk County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Arkansas on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Polk County: 1 in 39 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 2.5%, vs 1.6% in Arkansas.
Overview
Since 2015, 164 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Polk County. They injured 82 people and killed 11.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 26 days.
Only 38 truck crashes were reported in Mena since 2015; patterns below come from Polk County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (14.0% of the year) and are lowest in September (3.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.2% of truck crashes, vs 40.9% for Arkansas.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 10.4% of truck crashes.
3.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.3% across Arkansas.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Mena since 2015: US-71 (2), CR-39 (1) and SR-88 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 2.4% of the total, against 1.6% across Arkansas.
Route planning tips for Mena fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 26.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Arkansas.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 2 |
| CR-39 | 1 |
| SR-88 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 42 |
| US-71S | 36 |
| US-71N | 19 |
| Sh246E | 6 |
| US-270 | 6 |
| Sh8E | 5 |
| Sh88E | 5 |
| Sh8W | 3 |
Mena at a glance
| Population | 5,594 |
| Land area | 6.9 sq mi |
| Density | 806 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 71953) | $51,969 |
| Median home value (ZIP 71953) | $168,536 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 11 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 11 | -1% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 14 | +33% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 14 | -2% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 11 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 14. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Mena
How many truck accidents are there in Mena?
164 truck crashes have been reported in Polk County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 82 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Mena?
The worst month is June: 14.0% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Mena?
4 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Polk County since 2015, 2.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Mena compare with Arkansas?
Per 100,000 residents, Polk County has 73.4 truck crashes a year; Arkansas has 92.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Mena?
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.