Carter Lake, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carter Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carter Lake 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 has lower values than Iowa for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in Carter Lake: I-80 9 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Carter Lake.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,310 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pottawattamie County. They injured 420 people and killed 31.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
Carter Lake 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
January has the most truck crashes, 11.9% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 47.5% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (6.6%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 17.5% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Carter Lake is I-80, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come US-6 (3), US-75 (3) and Abbott Dr (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 Carter Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Pottawattamie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 9 |
| US-6 | 3 |
| US-75 | 3 |
| Abbott Dr | 1 |
| CR-G066 Pioneer Trl | 1 |
| CR-MYNSTER Springs Rd | 1 |
| I-480 | 1 |
| I-680 | 1 |
| I-I-680 | 1 |
| Mu-608 N Saddle Creek Rd | 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 |
Carter Lake at a glance
| Population | 3,752 |
| Land area | 1.8 sq mi |
| Density | 2,091 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51510) | $85,349 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51510) | $158,292 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 70 to 114. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carter Lake
How common are truck crashes in Carter Lake?
Pottawattamie County has had 1,310 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 420 people and killing 31.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Carter Lake?
I-80 had 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Carter Lake since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Carter Lake?
The worst month is January: 11.9% of truck crashes in Pottawattamie County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Carter Lake?
15 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Pottawattamie County since 2015, 1.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Carter Lake compared with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Pottawattamie County has 118.3 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Carter Lake?
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.