Polk County, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Polk County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Polk County compares with Florida
Polk County against Florida and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Florida | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 56.4 | 37.4 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.51 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 34% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.1% | 6.2% | 50% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 25.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.9% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 11% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.0% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.4% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Polk County sits below Florida on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
Polk County at a glance: US-27 most fatal truck crashes in Polk County: 30 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 5,582 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Polk County. They injured 3,056 people and killed 257.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 10.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 7.2%.
November through March accounts for 43.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.1% in Florida.
By time of day, 6–7 am stands out with 7.1% of truck crashes.
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.1% across Florida.
Where crashes happen
US-27 leads in Polk County with 30 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-60 (25), US-98 (20) and US-17 (16).
Garbage & waste trucks
138 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Florida: 3.8%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in February (13% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.3, vs 4.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Polk County fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-27 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in February; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Polk County) |
|---|---|
| US-27 | 30 |
| SR-60 | 25 |
| US-98 | 20 |
| US-17 | 16 |
| I-4 | 15 |
| US-92 | 13 |
| SR-37 | 6 |
| SR-659 | 6 |
| SR-33 | 4 |
| County Line Rd | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| SR-60 | 431 |
| SR-27 | 354 |
| US-27 | 160 |
| US-98 | 158 |
| Sr25 (Highway 27) | 139 |
| US-92 | 128 |
| I-4 | 115 |
| SR-98 | 92 |
Polk County at a glance
| Population | 852,878 |
| Land area | 1,798.2 sq mi |
| Density | 474 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $67,836 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 96 | — | 18.1 |
| 2000s | 258 | +167% | 19.4 |
| 2010s | 319 | +24% | 14.2 |
| 2020s | 539 | +69% | 21.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 96 a year in the 1990s and 539 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 18.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 21.4 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Polk County
ZIP codes in Polk County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Polk County
How many truck accidents are there in Polk County?
5,582 truck crashes have been reported in Polk County since 2015, with 257 deaths and 3,056 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Polk County?
NHTSA data shows US-27 with 30 fatal large-truck crashes in Polk County since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Polk County?
The worst month is March: 10.4% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Polk County?
138 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Polk County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Polk County compared with Florida?
Polk County records 56.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 37.4 across Florida.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Polk County?
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.