Melcher-Dallas, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Melcher-Dallas: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Melcher-Dallas and Marion County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Marion County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 202 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Marion County compares with Iowa
Marion County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Marion County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Marion County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 52.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 23% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 26% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 32% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 43% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.4% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 20% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Marion County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Marion County: 1 in 25 crashes involve a garbage truck (8 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Iowa.
Overview
Marion County has recorded 202 truck crashes since 2015, with 81 people injured and 5 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 20 days.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Melcher-Dallas since 2015; patterns below come from Marion County as a whole.
57% of truck crash reports in Marion County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.9% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 11.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 12.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Melcher-Dallas since 2015 were spread across roads: Mckimber Dr (1) and SR-5 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 8 crashes, 4.0% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Melcher-Dallas fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Marion County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Mckimber Dr | 1 |
| SR-5 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Marion County) |
|---|---|
| State 163/Iowa 163 | 16 |
| State 5/Iowa 5 | 13 |
| Ia 5 | 10 |
| Ia 163 | 10 |
| Ia 14 | 8 |
| Highway T 17 | 4 |
| State 14/Iowa 14 | 4 |
| T017/Hwy T17 | 3 |
Melcher-Dallas at a glance
| Population | 1,193 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,147 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50163) | $73,618 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50163) | $97,099 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Marion 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 | 5 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 9 | +89% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 15 | +65% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 17 | +16% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 5 a year in the 1990s and 17 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Melcher-Dallas
How many truck crashes happen in Melcher-Dallas?
Since 2015, 202 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Marion County (81 injured, 5 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Melcher-Dallas?
January has the most truck crashes in Marion County, 10.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Melcher-Dallas?
Garbage trucks were involved in 8 reported crashes in Marion County since 2015 (4.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Melcher-Dallas compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 52.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Marion County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Melcher-Dallas?
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.