Palisade, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Palisade: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Palisade and Mesa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mesa County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 390 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mesa County compares with Colorado
Mesa County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mesa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mesa County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 19.7 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 40% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 5.1 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.1% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 11% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.3% | 25.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.0% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.9% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Mesa 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 garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark.
Palisade at a glance: I-70 2 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Palisade.
Overview
Mesa County has recorded 390 truck crashes since 2015, with 122 people injured and 18 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 11 days in fully reported years.
Palisade had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Mesa County numbers.
58% of truck crash reports in Mesa County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (11.3% of the year) and are lowest in March (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 41.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.5% in Colorado.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 8.2% of truck crashes.
13.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 14.8% across Colorado.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Palisade is I-70, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-30 Rd (1), SR-65 (1) and SR-70 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
13 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Colorado: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Palisade fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Mesa County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-70; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 28.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Colorado; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Mesa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 2 |
| CR-30 Rd | 1 |
| SR-65 | 1 |
| SR-70 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mesa County) |
|---|---|
| I 70 At Mp 44 | 5 |
| I-70 | 4 |
| I70 At Mp 50 | 4 |
| River Rd At Railroad Blvd | 3 |
| Rd At Patterson Rd | 3 |
| Rd At North Ave | 3 |
| Railroad Blvd At River Rd | 3 |
| I70 At Mp 32 | 3 |
Palisade at a glance
| Population | 2,600 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,189 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 81526) | $87,500 |
| Median home value (ZIP 81526) | $505,680 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mesa 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 | 29 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 42 | +48% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 30 | -29% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 36 | +22% | 1.8 |
In the 1990s about 29 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 36. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Palisade
How many truck accidents are there in Palisade?
390 truck crashes have been reported in Mesa County since 2015, with 18 deaths and 122 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Palisade?
I-70 had 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Palisade since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Palisade?
The worst month is August: 11.3% of truck crashes in Mesa County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Palisade?
Since 2015, Mesa County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Palisade compared with Colorado?
Mesa County records 19.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 32.6 across Colorado.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Palisade?
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.