Watkins, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Watkins: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Watkins 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 sits below Iowa on garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Benton County: 10.5 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.5 across Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 206 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Benton County. They injured 101 people and killed 21.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 21 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Watkins since 2015; patterns below come from Benton County as a whole.
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
January has the most truck crashes, 12.6% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (4.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 47.6% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (10.7%).
Road surface: 19.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-151 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come US-30 (3), US-218 (1) and US-6 (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 Watkins fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Benton County.
- Check whether your routes use US-151, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Benton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-151 | 4 |
| US-30 | 3 |
| US-218 | 1 |
| US-6 | 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 |
Watkins at a glance
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52354) | $112,969 |
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 Watkins
How common are truck crashes in Watkins?
Since 2015, 206 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Benton County (101 injured, 21 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Watkins?
US-151 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Watkins since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Watkins?
January has the most truck crashes in Benton County, 12.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Watkins?
Garbage trucks were involved in 3 reported crashes in Benton County since 2015 (1.5% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Watkins compared with Iowa?
Benton County records 67.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Watkins?
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.