Carson, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carson and Pottawattamie County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pottawattamie County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 1,310 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pottawattamie County compares with Iowa
Pottawattamie County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pottawattamie County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pottawattamie County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 118.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 20% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 47% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.5% | 18.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.4% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.5% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.3% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Pottawattamie County sits below Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
Pottawattamie County at a glance: 1 in 87 crashes involve a garbage truck (15 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 1,310 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pottawattamie County since 2015: 420 people were injured and 31 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Carson had 4 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Pottawattamie County numbers.
45% of truck crash reports in Pottawattamie 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 (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.5% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (6.6%).
Road surface: 17.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Carson since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-92 (2) and US-6 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 15 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Carson fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Pottawattamie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-92 | 2 |
| US-6 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pottawattamie County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 62 |
| I-29 | 20 |
| Interstate 29/I 29 | 15 |
| Interstate 80/I 80 | 14 |
| US-6 | 11 |
| I-880 | 8 |
| Interstate 29/I29 Ramp | 8 |
| US-59 | 6 |
Carson at a glance
| Population | 772 |
| Land area | 0.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,182 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51525) | $82,308 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51525) | $194,488 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pottawattamie 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 | 70 | — | 2.9 |
| 2000s | 81 | +16% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 96 | +18% | 1.7 |
| 2020s | 114 | +19% | 2.4 |
In the 1990s about 70 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 114. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carson
How many truck accidents are there in Carson?
Since 2015, 1,310 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pottawattamie County (420 injured, 31 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Carson?
The worst month is January: 11.9% of truck crashes in Pottawattamie County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Carson?
Since 2015, Pottawattamie County has reported 15 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Carson compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 118.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Pottawattamie County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Carson?
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.