Lucas County, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lucas County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 66 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lucas County compares with Iowa
Lucas County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lucas County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lucas County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 65.4 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 100% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.9% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 15% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.2% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.3% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.0% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Lucas County has lower values than Iowa for deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and after dark.
The headline for Lucas County: 0.0 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.5 in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 66 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lucas County since 2015: 27 people were injured and 0 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 64 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.6% of the year) and are lowest in February (3.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.9% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (12.1%).
15.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in Lucas County happened on US-34 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Lucas County fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lucas County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Lucas County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Lucas County) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lucas County) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 3 |
| 110Th Ave And H050/440Th St | 2 |
| 300Th Ave And Us 34 | 2 |
| Orchard Ave | 2 |
| 490Th St And S023/200Th Ave | 1 |
| 4Th St And S 4Th St And Us 34 | 1 |
| 500Th St And 120Th Ave | 1 |
| 537Th St | 1 |
Lucas County at a glance
| Population | 8,758 |
| Land area | 430.7 sq mi |
| Density | 20 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $62,501 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lucas 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 | 2 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 5 | +114% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 6 | +33% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 5 | -26% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 5 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Lucas County
ZIP codes in Lucas County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Lucas County
How common are truck crashes in Lucas County?
66 truck crashes have been reported in Lucas County since 2015, with 0 deaths and 27 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lucas County?
Truck crashes in Lucas County peak in January, with 13.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lucas County?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lucas County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Lucas County compare with Iowa?
Lucas County records 65.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lucas County?
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.