Cotter, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cotter: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cotter and Louisa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Louisa County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 88 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Louisa County compares with Iowa
Louisa County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Louisa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Louisa County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 71.0 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 45% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 42% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.6% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 36% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.6% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 15% below the state |
| After dark | 22.9% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Louisa County has lower values than Iowa for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes.
The headline for Louisa County: April 13.6% of truck crashes happen in April, more than any other month.
Overview
Louisa County has recorded 88 truck crashes since 2015, with 34 people injured and 5 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 48 days.
Cotter had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Louisa County numbers.
59% of truck crash reports in Louisa County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in April (13.6% of the year) and are lowest in March (2.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.6% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 10.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 10.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Cotter since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-X17 (1), SR-92 (1) and Third St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 1 crash, 1.1% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Cotter fleets
- Review driver schedules for April, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Louisa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-X17 | 1 |
| SR-92 | 1 |
| Third St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Louisa County) |
|---|---|
| US-61 | 10 |
| Ia 92 | 4 |
| State 92/Iowa 92 | 4 |
| Ia 70 | 3 |
| County Rd X 37 | 3 |
| County Line Rd And 190Th St | 2 |
| County Rd G62 And U Ave | 2 |
| Locust St And Us 61 | 2 |
Cotter at a glance
| Population | 40 |
| Land area | 0.1 sq mi |
| Density | 408 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52738) | $80,385 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52738) | $139,650 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Louisa 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 | 4 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 4 | +18% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 6 | +39% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 7 | +17% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 7. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cotter
How many truck accidents are there in Cotter?
Louisa County has had 88 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 34 people and killing 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cotter?
Truck crashes in Louisa County peak in April, with 13.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cotter?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Louisa County since 2015, 1.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Cotter compared with Iowa?
Louisa County records 71.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cotter?
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.