Southern Ute, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Southern Ute: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Southern Ute and La Plata County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use La Plata County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 195 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How La Plata County compares with Colorado
La Plata County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where La Plata County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | La Plata County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 30.2 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 7% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.1% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 32% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.5% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.6% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 20% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 43.5% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 21.7% | 22.4% | 24.8% | same |
La Plata County sits below Colorado on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Colorado on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in La Plata County: 1 in 24 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.2%, against 2.8% for Colorado.
Overview
Police reported 195 crashes involving commercial trucks in La Plata County since 2015: 73 people were injured and 15 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 21 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Southern Ute since 2015; patterns below come from La Plata County as a whole.
71% of truck crash reports in La Plata County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 10.3% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (5.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.2% of truck crashes, against 43.5% across Colorado.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 13.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 10.1% of truck crashes, compared with 14.8% in Colorado.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Southern Ute since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 8 crashes, 4.1% of the total, against 2.8% across Colorado.
Route planning tips for Southern Ute fleets
- Plan November schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in La Plata County.
- 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 La Plata County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (La Plata County) |
|---|---|
| Cr 310 At Cr 309A | 2 |
| Hwy 160 4,752 Feet E Of Mp 91 | 2 |
| Hwy 160 At Mp 110 | 2 |
| Hwy 160 At Mp 71 | 2 |
| Hwy 160 At Mp 91 | 2 |
| Hwy 160 At Mp 92 | 2 |
| Hwy 550 At Mp 27 | 2 |
| Hwy 550 At Mp 47 | 2 |
Southern Ute at a glance
| Land area | 16.0 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 81137) | $63,860 |
| Median home value (ZIP 81137) | $335,309 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in La Plata 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 | 9 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 25 | +166% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 19 | -23% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 18 | -5% | 1.8 |
In the 1990s about 9 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 18. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Southern Ute
How many truck accidents are there in Southern Ute?
La Plata County has had 195 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 73 people and killing 15.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Southern Ute?
The worst month is November: 10.3% of truck crashes in La Plata County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Southern Ute?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in La Plata County since 2015, 4.1% of all truck crashes.
How does Southern Ute compare with Colorado for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, La Plata County has 30.2 truck crashes a year; Colorado has 32.6.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Southern Ute?
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.