Sanborn, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sanborn: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sanborn 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 |
Compared with Iowa, O'Brien County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in O'Brien County: December the month with the most truck crashes: 15.4% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 143 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in O'Brien County. They injured 83 people and killed 1.
That averages about one truck crash every 29 days in fully reported years.
Only 14 truck crashes were reported in Sanborn since 2015; patterns below come from O'Brien County as a whole.
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
December has the most truck crashes, 15.4% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (4.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 48.2% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 9.8% of truck crashes.
23.4% 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 within 10 miles of Sanborn happened on CR-L36/NETTLE Ave (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 1.4% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Sanborn fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 23.4% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 O'Brien County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-L36/NETTLE Ave | 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 |
Sanborn at a glance
| Population | 1,463 |
| Land area | 1.9 sq mi |
| Density | 779 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51248) | $64,375 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51248) | $186,865 |
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. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sanborn
How many truck accidents are there in Sanborn?
Since 2015, 143 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in O'Brien County (83 injured, 1 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Sanborn?
December has the most truck crashes in O'Brien County, 15.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Sanborn?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in O'Brien County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Sanborn compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 87.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in O'Brien County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Sanborn?
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.