Russell, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Russell: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Russell and Lucas County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lucas County numbers.
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 sits below Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Iowa on garbage-truck share and after dark.
What stands out in Lucas County: 0.0 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Since 2015, 66 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lucas County. They injured 27 people and killed 0.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 64 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Russell since 2015; patterns below come from Lucas County as a whole.
53% of truck crash reports in Lucas County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 13.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 3.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.9% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 12.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 15.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Russell happened on SR-14 (1) and US-34 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 3.0% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Russell fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lucas County.
- 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 Lucas County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-14 | 1 |
| 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 |
Russell at a glance
| Population | 475 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 463 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50238) | $59,625 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50238) | $83,619 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 5. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Russell
How many truck accidents are there in Russell?
Since 2015, 66 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lucas County (27 injured, 0 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Russell?
January has the most truck crashes in Lucas County, 13.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Russell?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lucas County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Russell compared with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Lucas County has 65.4 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Russell?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.