Colorado truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Colorado: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, 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
5.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Colorado compares with United States
Colorado against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Colorado stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Colorado | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.6 | 49.7 | 34% below the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.5× the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.49 | 35% below the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2× the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.8% | 6.2% | 2.4× the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the US |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.4% | 24.8% | 10% below the US |
Colorado sits below the US on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Colorado: 14.8% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (the US: 6.2%).
Overview
Since 2015, 22,723 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Colorado. They injured 7,478 people and killed 1,173.
That averages about 5 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 9.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.7%.
November through March accounts for 43.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in the US.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.6%).
14.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.2% across the US.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Colorado is I-25, with 76 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-70 (68), US-160 (44) and US-50 (37).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 635 crashes, 2.8% of the total, against 2.3% across the US.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (9%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 5.0 deaths compared with 5.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Colorado fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Colorado.
- Where you can, review stops along I-25; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Colorado.
- Morning starts matter: 25.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than the US.
- With 14.8% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above the US), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Colorado
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Colorado) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 76 |
| I-70 | 68 |
| US-160 | 44 |
| US-50 | 37 |
| US-85 | 31 |
| US-34 | 27 |
| US-287 | 26 |
| I-76 | 25 |
| US-40 | 22 |
| US-285 | 19 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Colorado) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 132 |
| I 25 At Mp 212 | 30 |
| Hwy 160 At Mp 160 | 26 |
| I 70 At Mp 280 | 25 |
| Colorado State Patrol | 19 |
| I 25 At Mp 209 | 18 |
| I 25 At Mp 211 | 18 |
| I 70 At Mp 275 | 18 |
Colorado at a glance
| Population | 5,957,493 |
| Land area | 103,637.1 sq mi |
| Density | 57 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in Colorado 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 | 1,421 | — | 52.8 |
| 2000s | 1,891 | +33% | 58.3 |
| 2010s | 1,838 | -3% | 63.8 |
| 2020s | 1,972 | +7% | 87.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 1,421 a year in the 1990s and 1,972 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 84.5 a year in 2016–19, 87.2 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in Colorado
Largest places in Colorado
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about Colorado
How many truck crashes happen in Colorado?
Since 2015, 22,723 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Colorado (7,478 injured, 1,173 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Colorado?
Since 2015, I-25 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Colorado: 76.
When do most truck crashes happen in Colorado?
January has the most truck crashes in Colorado, 9.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Colorado?
Since 2015, Colorado has reported 635 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Colorado compare with the US?
Per 100,000 residents, Colorado has 32.6 truck crashes a year; the US has 49.7.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Colorado?
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.