Lakewood, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lakewood: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lakewood and Jefferson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jefferson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Jefferson County compares with Colorado
Jefferson County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jefferson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jefferson County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 14.9 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 54% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.8 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.4% | 14.8% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.6% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.0% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Jefferson County sits below Colorado on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Lakewood: I-70 12 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 15 miles of Lakewood.
Overview
Police reported 1,011 crashes involving commercial trucks in Jefferson County since 2015: 322 people were injured and 56 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 143 truck crashes were reported in Lakewood since 2015; patterns below come from Jefferson County as a whole.
47% of truck crash reports in Jefferson County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 6.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.2% of truck crashes, vs 43.5% for Colorado.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (9.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.4% of truck crashes, compared with 14.8% in Colorado.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-70 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (12). It is followed by I-25 (10), SR-121 (5) and I-76 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 36 of the truck crashes here, or 3.6%, compared with 2.8% in Colorado.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (17% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 5.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Lakewood fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-70; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Jefferson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 12 |
| I-25 | 10 |
| SR-121 | 5 |
| I-76 | 3 |
| SR-35 | 3 |
| SR-53 | 3 |
| SR-93 | 3 |
| SR-95 | 3 |
| US-85 | 3 |
| I-270 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jefferson County) |
|---|---|
| I 70 At Mp 259 | 11 |
| C470 At Mp 1 | 7 |
| Hwy 285 At Mp 240 | 7 |
| I 70 At Mp 262 | 7 |
| I70 At Mp 262 | 6 |
| I 70 At Ward Rd | 6 |
| I 70 At Mp 257 | 6 |
| I 70 At Mp 253 | 6 |
Lakewood at a glance
| Population | 156,868 |
| Land area | 43.5 sq mi |
| Density | 3,608 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 80226) | $82,300 |
| Median home value (ZIP 80226) | $562,099 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jefferson 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 | 79 | — | 2.7 |
| 2000s | 114 | +44% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 98 | -14% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 76 | -22% | 3.6 |
In the 1990s about 79 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 76. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lakewood
How common are truck crashes in Lakewood?
1,011 truck crashes have been reported in Jefferson County since 2015, with 56 deaths and 322 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Lakewood?
NHTSA data shows I-70 with 12 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Lakewood since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lakewood?
Truck crashes in Jefferson County peak in January, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lakewood?
Since 2015, Jefferson County has reported 36 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lakewood compared with Colorado?
Jefferson County records 14.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 32.6 across Colorado.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lakewood?
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.