Westphalia, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Westphalia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Westphalia and Shelby County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Shelby County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 73 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Shelby County compares with Iowa
Shelby County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Shelby County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Shelby County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.1 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 22% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.84 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 2.0× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 33% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.2% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 61% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.2% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 52% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.5% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.9% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 31% below the state |
Shelby County sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Shelby County: June worst month: 13.7% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Shelby County has recorded 73 truck crashes since 2015, with 62 people injured and 4 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 58 days.
Westphalia had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Shelby County numbers.
68% of truck crash reports in Shelby County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (13.7% of the year) and are lowest in January (1.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.5% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 15.1% of truck crashes.
7.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Westphalia since 2015: Nishna Ave (1) and US-59 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 1 crash, 1.4% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Westphalia fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 31.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Iowa; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Shelby County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Nishna Ave | 1 |
| US-59 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Shelby County) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 9 |
| State 44/Chatburn Ave | 4 |
| 1500Th St And St F32 Unsigned | 3 |
| F032/Street F32 | 2 |
| Ia 191 | 2 |
| Ia 44 | 2 |
| Ia 44 East Of Exchange | 2 |
| State 37/Iowa 37 | 2 |
Westphalia at a glance
| Population | 133 |
| Land area | 0.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,357 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51578) | $77,292 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51578) | $98,309 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Shelby 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 | 2 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 2 | +53% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 6 | +158% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 6 | -9% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 6 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Westphalia
How many truck accidents are there in Westphalia?
Since 2015, 73 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Shelby County (62 injured, 4 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Westphalia?
June has the most truck crashes in Shelby County, 13.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Westphalia?
Since 2015, Shelby County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
How does Westphalia compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Shelby County records 53.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Westphalia?
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.