Lake Hamilton, FL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Hamilton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Hamilton 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. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
The headline for Lake Hamilton: 2.5× yearly fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Hamilton: 2.5 in 2016–19, 6.2 in 2020–24.
Overview
Since 2015, 5,582 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Polk County. They injured 3,056 people and killed 257.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Lake Hamilton had 44 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%).
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%).
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.1% across Florida.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Lake Hamilton is US-27, with 16 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-17 (7), SR-544 (3) and US-92 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
138 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Florida: 3.8%).
Their busiest month is February, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 2.3 deaths per 100 crashes, against 4.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Lake Hamilton fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk County.
- Look at alternatives to US-27 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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 | 16 |
| US-17 | 7 |
| SR-544 | 3 |
| US-92 | 3 |
| CR-542 | 1 |
| CR-546 | 1 |
| CR-557 | 1 |
| CR-580 | 1 |
| CR-655 | 1 |
| Cypress Parkway | 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 |
Lake Hamilton at a glance
| Population | 2,126 |
| Land area | 3.1 sq mi |
| Density | 681 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 33851) | $62,284 |
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. 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 Lake Hamilton
How common are truck crashes in Lake Hamilton?
Polk County has had 5,582 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 3,056 people and killing 257.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lake Hamilton?
Since 2015, US-27 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Hamilton: 16.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake Hamilton?
March has the most truck crashes in Polk County, 10.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lake Hamilton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 138 reported crashes in Polk County since 2015 (2.5% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Lake Hamilton 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 Lake Hamilton?
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.