Mary Esther, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mary Esther: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mary Esther and Okaloosa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Okaloosa 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 4.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Okaloosa County compares with Florida
Okaloosa County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Okaloosa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Okaloosa County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 23.3 | 37.4 | 49.7 | 38% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 4.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.0% | 25.2% | 23.7% | 13% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.3% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Okaloosa County has lower values than Florida for crashes per 100k residents / yr, morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Okaloosa County: 0.4% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 0.1% in Florida.
Overview
Police reported 605 crashes involving commercial trucks in Okaloosa County since 2015: 341 people were injured and 23 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 7 days.
Mary Esther had 20 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Okaloosa County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in April (9.4% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.2% of truck crashes, vs 42.1% for Florida.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.4% of truck crashes, compared with 0.1% in Florida.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-98 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). Next come Denton Blvd Nw (1) and SR-189 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
27 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.5% share (Florida: 3.8%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in March (15%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 4.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Mary Esther fleets
- Plan April schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Okaloosa County.
- Look at alternatives to US-98 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 0.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Florida; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Okaloosa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-98 | 6 |
| Denton Blvd Nw | 1 |
| SR-189 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Okaloosa County) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 54 |
| State Road 85 | 39 |
| Interstate 10 (State Road 8) | 37 |
| US-98 | 24 |
| SR-85 | 16 |
| US-90 | 13 |
| State Road 189 | 12 |
| State Road 293 | 9 |
Mary Esther at a glance
| Population | 4,070 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,797 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 32548) | $65,342 |
| Median home value (ZIP 32548) | $318,012 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Okaloosa 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 | — | 1.8 |
| 2000s | 30 | +49% | 2.1 |
| 2010s | 42 | +40% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 54 | +29% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 20 a year in the 1990s and 54 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Mary Esther
How common are truck crashes in Mary Esther?
605 truck crashes have been reported in Okaloosa County since 2015, with 23 deaths and 341 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Mary Esther?
US-98 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Mary Esther since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Mary Esther?
Truck crashes in Okaloosa County peak in April, with 9.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Mary Esther?
Since 2015, Okaloosa County has reported 27 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Mary Esther compare with Florida for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 23.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Okaloosa County, vs 37.4 for Florida.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Mary Esther?
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.