Dawson, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dawson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Dawson and Dallas County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dallas County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 638 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dallas County compares with Iowa
Dallas County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dallas County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dallas County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 47.0 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 9% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 31% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 16.3% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 13% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.1% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.4% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 26.0% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Dallas County sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Iowa on after dark.
What stands out in Dallas County: 1 in 66 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.5%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Dallas County has recorded 638 truck crashes since 2015, with 229 people injured and 19 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
Dawson had 3 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Dallas County numbers.
53% of truck crash reports in Dallas County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 10.5% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (4.7%).
November through March accounts for 41.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (8.5%).
16.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Dawson since 2015: CR-P46 D Ave (1), SR-141 (1) and SR-4 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 9 of the truck crashes here, or 1.4%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Dawson fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Dallas County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-P46 D Ave | 1 |
| SR-141 | 1 |
| SR-4 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dallas County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 65 |
| Interstate 80/I 80 | 31 |
| Ia 141 | 7 |
| Ia 44 | 6 |
| State 141/Iowa 141 | 6 |
| State 44/240Th St | 6 |
| US-6 | 5 |
| Us 169/N Ave | 5 |
Dawson at a glance
| Population | 110 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 222 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50066) | $66,406 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50066) | $164,409 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dallas 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 | 11 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 31 | +181% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 40 | +29% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 60 | +48% | 2.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 11 to 60. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Dawson
How many truck crashes happen in Dawson?
Dallas County has had 638 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 229 people and killing 19.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Dawson?
The worst month is July: 10.5% of truck crashes in Dallas County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Dawson?
9 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Dallas County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Dawson compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 47.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dallas County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Dawson?
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.