Carbon, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carbon: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carbon and Adams County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Adams County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 31 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Adams County compares with Iowa
Adams County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Adams County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Adams County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.6 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 10.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.0% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 46% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.0% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 34% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.7% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.3% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 42% below the state |
Adams County has lower values than Iowa for on snow, slush or ice, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Adams County: August the month with the most truck crashes: 22.6% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 31 crashes involving commercial trucks in Adams County since 2015: 17 people were injured and 3 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 134 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Carbon since 2015, this page uses Adams County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
68% of truck crash reports in Adams County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 22.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 0.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.7% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 16.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 10.0% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Carbon happened on US-34 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 3.2%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Carbon fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Adams County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Adams County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Adams County) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 7 |
| Orange Ave | 3 |
| Ginko Ave And Us 34 | 3 |
| Ia 148 | 2 |
| N026/Birch Ave And Us 34 | 2 |
| Quince Ave | 2 |
| Us 34 And Ginko Ave | 2 |
| 10Th St And Ia 148 | 1 |
Carbon at a glance
| Population | 32 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 43 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50839) | $48,750 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Adams 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 | 1 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 2 | +84% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 3 | +24% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 3 | +9% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 1 a year in the 1990s and 3 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carbon
How many truck accidents are there in Carbon?
31 truck crashes have been reported in Adams County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 17 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Carbon?
The worst month is August: 22.6% of truck crashes in Adams County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Carbon?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Adams County since 2015 (3.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Carbon compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Adams County has 75.6 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Carbon?
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.