Hillcrest Heights, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hillcrest Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hillcrest Heights 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 sits below Florida on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Florida on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
What stands out in Hillcrest Heights: 2.4× fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Hillcrest Heights per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (3.0 vs 1.2).
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.
Hillcrest Heights had 0 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
March has the most truck crashes, 10.4% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (7.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.0% of truck crashes, against 42.1% across 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 within 10 miles of Hillcrest Heights with 11 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-60 (8), Mu-Walk In Water Rd (1) and SR-17 (1).
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).
They recorded 2.3 deaths per 100 crashes, against 4.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Hillcrest Heights 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.
- 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
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-27 | 11 |
| SR-60 | 8 |
| Mu-Walk In Water Rd | 1 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
| US-98 | 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 |
Hillcrest Heights at a glance
| Population | 282 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,762 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 33827) | $54,556 |
| Median home value (ZIP 33827) | $236,626 |
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 Hillcrest Heights
How many truck accidents are there in Hillcrest Heights?
Since 2015, 5,582 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Polk County (3,056 injured, 257 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Hillcrest Heights?
NHTSA data shows US-27 with 11 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hillcrest Heights since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Hillcrest Heights?
The worst month is March: 10.4% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Hillcrest Heights?
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 Hillcrest Heights compare 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 Hillcrest Heights?
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.