Fort Meade, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Fort Meade: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Fort Meade and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
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 |
Compared with Florida, Polk County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
Fort Meade at a glance: US-17 7 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Fort Meade.
Overview
Polk County has recorded 5,582 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,056 people injured and 257 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Fort Meade had 30 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Polk County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (10.4% of the year) and are lowest in June (7.2%).
November through March accounts for 43.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.1% in Florida.
More truck crashes happen at 6–7 am than at any other hour (7.1%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.0% of truck crashes, compared with 0.1% in Florida.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Fort Meade is US-17, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-60 (3), US-98 (2) and 14th St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 138 of the truck crashes here, or 2.5%, compared with 3.8% in Florida.
Their busiest month is February, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.3 deaths compared with 4.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Fort Meade fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-17, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: February is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Polk County.
- 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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-17 | 7 |
| SR-60 | 3 |
| US-98 | 2 |
| 14th St | 1 |
| Alturas Babson Park Rd | 1 |
| CR-630 | 1 |
| CR-640 | 1 |
| US-27 | 1 |
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 |
Fort Meade at a glance
| Population | 5,341 |
| Land area | 8.2 sq mi |
| Density | 653 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 33841) | $39,384 |
| Median home value (ZIP 33841) | $193,785 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 96 to 539. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 18.0 a year in 2016–19 and 21.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Fort Meade
How common are truck crashes in Fort Meade?
Since 2015, 5,582 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Polk County (3,056 injured, 257 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Fort Meade?
US-17 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Fort Meade since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Fort Meade?
March has the most truck crashes in Polk County, 10.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Fort Meade?
Since 2015, Polk County has reported 138 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Fort Meade 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 Fort Meade?
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.