Highland City, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Highland City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Highland City 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 |
Polk County has lower values than Florida for 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.
The headline for Highland City: SR-60 11 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Highland City.
Overview
Polk County has recorded 5,582 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,056 people injured and 257 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Highland City since 2015; patterns below come from Polk County as a whole.
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.
By time of day, 6–7 am stands out with 7.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.0% of truck crashes, compared with 0.1% in Florida.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-60 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (11). After it: US-92 (10), US-98 (8) and SR-659 (6).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 138 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 3.8% across Florida.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in February (13%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.3, vs 4.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Highland City fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk County.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-60; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at February schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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) |
|---|---|
| SR-60 | 11 |
| US-92 | 10 |
| US-98 | 8 |
| SR-659 | 6 |
| SR-37 | 4 |
| US-17 | 3 |
| CR-33A | 1 |
| CR-542 | 1 |
| CR-546 | 1 |
| CR-655 | 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 |
Highland City at a glance
| Land area | 7.9 sq mi |
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 |
In the 1990s about 96 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 539. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 18.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 21.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Highland City
How many truck crashes happen in Highland City?
5,582 truck crashes have been reported in Polk County since 2015, with 257 deaths and 3,056 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Highland City?
Since 2015, SR-60 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Highland City: 11.
When do most truck crashes happen in Highland City?
The worst month is March: 10.4% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Highland City?
138 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Polk County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Highland City compare with Florida?
The yearly rate is 56.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Polk County, vs 37.4 for Florida.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Highland City?
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.