Lake Placid, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Placid: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Placid and Highlands County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Highlands County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 7.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Highlands County compares with Florida
Highlands County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Highlands County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Highlands County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 50.8 | 37.4 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.3 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.59 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 2.0× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 25.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.3% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.3% | 42.1% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 26.1% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Highlands County sits below Florida on in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Florida on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Highlands County: 0.2% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Florida: 0.1%).
Overview
Since 2015, 648 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Highlands County. They injured 383 people and killed 46.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Lake Placid had 106 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Highlands County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (11.0% of the year) and are lowest in October (5.9%).
November through March accounts for 46.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.1% in Florida.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 8.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Florida: 0.1%).
Where crashes happen
US-27 leads within 10 miles of Lake Placid with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-70 (5), SR-66 (1) and US-98 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
27 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.2% share (Florida: 3.8%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (15% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 7.7, vs 7.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Lake Placid fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-27 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- With 0.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Florida), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Highlands County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-27 | 10 |
| SR-70 | 5 |
| SR-66 | 1 |
| US-98 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Highlands County) |
|---|---|
| US-27 | 132 |
| SR-70 | 65 |
| State Road 70 | 58 |
| Us 27 (Sr 25) | 55 |
| Us 27 South | 22 |
| State Road 66 | 18 |
| Us 27 (State Road 25) | 17 |
| Us-27 (Sr-25) | 15 |
Lake Placid at a glance
| Population | 2,561 |
| Land area | 4.7 sq mi |
| Density | 546 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Highlands 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 | 20 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 41 | +111% | 4.0 |
| 2010s | 46 | +10% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 53 | +15% | 4.8 |
In the 1990s about 20 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 53. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.2 a year in 2016–19, 4.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Placid
How many truck crashes happen in Lake Placid?
648 truck crashes have been reported in Highlands County since 2015, with 46 deaths and 383 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lake Placid?
Since 2015, US-27 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Placid: 10.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake Placid?
The worst month is March: 11.0% of truck crashes in Highlands County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lake Placid?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Highlands County since 2015 (4.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Lake Placid compare with Florida?
Per 100,000 residents, Highlands County has 50.8 truck crashes a year; Florida has 37.4.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Lake Placid?
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.