Hartley, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hartley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hartley and O'Brien County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use O'Brien County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 143 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How O'Brien County compares with Iowa
O'Brien County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where O'Brien County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | O'Brien County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 87.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 80% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 33% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 23.4% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.2% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.8% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
O'Brien County sits below Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
O'Brien County at a glance: December worst month: 15.4% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 143 crashes involving commercial trucks in O'Brien County since 2015: 83 people were injured and 1 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 29 days.
Hartley had 5 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use O'Brien County numbers.
57% of truck crash reports in O'Brien County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 15.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 4.2%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.2% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (9.8%).
Road surface: 23.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hartley since 2015 were spread across roads: US-18 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Hartley fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 23.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Iowa), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 O'Brien County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-18 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (O'Brien County) |
|---|---|
| Us 18/320Th St | 9 |
| US-18 | 8 |
| Eastern St And Us 18/E 7Th St | 4 |
| US-59 | 4 |
| Ia 60 | 3 |
| 2Nd Ave | 2 |
| L026 / Mckinley Ave | 2 |
| L026/Mckinley Ave And 430Th St | 2 |
Hartley at a glance
| Population | 1,584 |
| Land area | 1.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,191 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51346) | $72,426 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51346) | $155,629 |
Historical data: truck crashes in O'Brien 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 | 6 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 6 | +7% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 11 | +82% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 13 | +17% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 6 to 13. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hartley
How many truck crashes happen in Hartley?
O'Brien County has had 143 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 83 people and killing 1.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Hartley?
The worst month is December: 15.4% of truck crashes in O'Brien County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Hartley?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in O'Brien County since 2015 (1.4% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Hartley compare with Iowa?
O'Brien County records 87.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Hartley?
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.