Benton, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benton and Ringgold County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ringgold County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 27 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ringgold County compares with Iowa
Ringgold County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ringgold County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ringgold County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 28% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 28.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 8.0× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.0% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 57% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.0% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 32.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 30% below the state |
| After dark | 12.0% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 48% below the state |
Ringgold County sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Ringgold County: 28.0 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Police reported 27 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ringgold County since 2015: 9 people were injured and 7 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 161 days.
Benton had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Ringgold County numbers.
52% of truck crash reports in Ringgold County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 18.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 0.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 32.0% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (22.2%).
Road surface: 8.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Benton since 2015: SR-2 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 3.7%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Benton fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Ringgold County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-2 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ringgold County) |
|---|---|
| Ia 2 | 4 |
| Ia 25 | 2 |
| 0.1 Mile West Of Mount Ayr On | 1 |
| 120Th Ave | 1 |
| 210Th St | 1 |
| 280Th Ave | 1 |
| 280Th St Measuring 1713 Feet | 1 |
| County Highway J23 | 1 |
Benton at a glance
| Population | 40 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 53 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50835) | $58,125 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ringgold 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 | 0 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 1 | +500% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 2 | +70% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 3 | +57% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 1 a year in the 2000s and 3 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benton
How many truck accidents are there in Benton?
Ringgold County has had 27 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 9 people and killing 7.
When do most truck crashes happen in Benton?
Truck crashes in Ringgold County peak in January, with 18.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Benton?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Ringgold County since 2015, 3.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Benton compared with Iowa?
Ringgold County records 49.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Benton?
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.