Van Meter, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Van Meter: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Van Meter 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 |
Compared with Iowa, Dallas County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher after dark.
What stands out in Van Meter: I-80 7 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Van Meter.
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.
With 9 truck crashes reported in Van Meter since 2015, this page uses Dallas County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
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%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.4% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across 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
I-80 leads within 10 miles of Van Meter with 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-35 (3), US-6 (2) and SR-5 (1).
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 Van Meter fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Dallas County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 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
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 7 |
| I-35 | 3 |
| US-6 | 2 |
| SR-5 | 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 |
Van Meter at a glance
| Population | 1,840 |
| Land area | 4.4 sq mi |
| Density | 420 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50038) | $82,188 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 11 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 60. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Van Meter
How common are truck crashes in Van Meter?
Since 2015, 638 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dallas County (229 injured, 19 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Van Meter?
I-80 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Van Meter since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Van Meter?
Truck crashes in Dallas County peak in July, with 10.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Van Meter?
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 Van Meter compared with Iowa?
Dallas County records 47.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Van Meter?
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.