Smeltertown, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Smeltertown: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Smeltertown and Chaffee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Chaffee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 135 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Chaffee County compares with Colorado
Chaffee County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Chaffee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Chaffee County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.1 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 11.1 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.23 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 28% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.2% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.4% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.6% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.5% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.0% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Chaffee County has lower values than Colorado for injuries per crash. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Chaffee County: 11.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 5.1 across Colorado.
Overview
Chaffee County has recorded 135 truck crashes since 2015, with 33 people injured and 14 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 32 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Smeltertown since 2015; patterns below come from Chaffee County as a whole.
82% of truck crash reports in Chaffee County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (4.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.5% of truck crashes, vs 43.5% for Colorado.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 9.6% of truck crashes.
26.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 14.8% across Colorado.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Smeltertown since 2015 were spread across roads: US-285 (2) and SR-291 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 3.7%, compared with 2.8% in Colorado.
Route planning tips for Smeltertown fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 26.2% of truck crashes here, more than Colorado; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Chaffee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-285 | 2 |
| SR-291 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Chaffee County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 50 At Mp 209 | 6 |
| Hwy 50 At Mp 199 | 5 |
| Hwy 50 At Mp 202 | 3 |
| Hwy 285 At Mp 137 | 3 |
| Cr 187 At Cr 307 | 2 |
| Hwy 24 2,112 Feet E Of Mp 217 | 2 |
| Hwy 24 At Mp 221 | 2 |
| Hwy 285 At Mp 119 | 2 |
Smeltertown at a glance
| Land area | 0.1 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 81201) | $80,248 |
| Median home value (ZIP 81201) | $675,768 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Chaffee 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 | 6 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 8 | +36% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 10 | +35% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 12 | +12% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 12 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Smeltertown
How many truck accidents are there in Smeltertown?
Since 2015, 135 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Chaffee County (33 injured, 14 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Smeltertown?
The worst month is July: 11.9% of truck crashes in Chaffee County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Smeltertown?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Chaffee County since 2015, 3.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Smeltertown compared with Colorado?
Chaffee County records 55.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 32.6 across Colorado.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Smeltertown?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.