Belle Plaine, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Belle Plaine: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Belle Plaine and Benton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Benton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 206 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Benton County compares with Iowa
Benton County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Benton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Benton County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 10.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.4% | 18.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.6% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Benton County has lower values than Iowa for garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Benton County at a glance: 10.5 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.5 in Iowa.
Overview
Benton County has recorded 206 truck crashes since 2015, with 101 people injured and 21 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 21 days.
Belle Plaine had 5 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Benton County numbers.
79% of truck crash reports in Benton County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 12.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is August at 4.9%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.6% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 19.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
US-30 leads within 10 miles of Belle Plaine with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: CR-320TH St (1), SR-21 (1) and US-18 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 1.5%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Belle Plaine fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-30 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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 Benton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 6 |
| CR-320TH St | 1 |
| SR-21 | 1 |
| US-18 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Benton County) |
|---|---|
| Us 30/73 St | 12 |
| US-30 | 8 |
| I-380 | 6 |
| Ave | 6 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 | 5 |
| US-218 | 5 |
| Us 30/73 St And 21 Ave And V06 | 4 |
| W014/27 Ave | 3 |
Belle Plaine at a glance
| Population | 2,335 |
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Density | 735 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52208) | $74,127 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52208) | $120,873 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Benton 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 | 7 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 9 | +34% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 14 | +51% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 18 | +28% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 7 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 18. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Belle Plaine
How many truck crashes happen in Belle Plaine?
Benton County has had 206 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 101 people and killing 21.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Belle Plaine?
NHTSA data shows US-30 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Belle Plaine since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Belle Plaine?
Truck crashes in Benton County peak in January, with 12.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Belle Plaine?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Benton County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Belle Plaine compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Benton County has 67.3 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Belle Plaine?
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.