Steamboat Springs, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Steamboat Springs: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Steamboat Springs and Routt County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Routt County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 157 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Routt County compares with Colorado
Routt County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Routt County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Routt County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.7 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.23 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 28% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 36.2% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 2.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 25.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.5% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.7% | 43.5% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 18.8% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Routt County sits below Colorado on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Routt County: 36.2% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 14.8% in Colorado.
Overview
Police reported 157 crashes involving commercial trucks in Routt County since 2015: 38 people were injured and 7 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 27 days.
With 17 truck crashes reported in Steamboat Springs since 2015, this page uses Routt County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
75% of truck crash reports in Routt 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 12.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.7%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 49.7% of truck crashes, vs 43.5% for Colorado.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (11.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 36.2% of truck crashes, compared with 14.8% in Colorado.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Steamboat Springs happened on US-40 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 3.2%, compared with 2.8% in Colorado.
Route planning tips for Steamboat Springs fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 28.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Colorado; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 36.2% 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
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 Routt County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-40 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Routt County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 40 At Mp 141 | 8 |
| Hwy 40 At Mp 142 | 5 |
| Hwy 40 At Mp 147 | 3 |
| Cr 14 At Mp 8 | 2 |
| Hghwy 40 At Mp 142 | 2 |
| Hwy 131 2,640 Feet N Of Mp 45 | 2 |
| Hwy 131 At Cr 22 | 2 |
| Hwy 131 At Mp 46 | 2 |
Steamboat Springs at a glance
| Population | 13,620 |
| Land area | 9.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,377 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Routt 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 | 10 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 20 | +111% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 12 | -43% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 14 | +26% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 10 to 14. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Steamboat Springs
How many truck crashes happen in Steamboat Springs?
157 truck crashes have been reported in Routt County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 38 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Steamboat Springs?
Truck crashes in Routt County peak in January, with 12.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Steamboat Springs?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Routt County since 2015 (3.2% of truck crashes).
How does Steamboat Springs compare with Colorado for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 53.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Routt County, vs 32.6 for Colorado.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Steamboat Springs?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.