Tama, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Tama: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Tama and Tama County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Tama County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 135 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Tama County compares with Iowa
Tama County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Tama County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Tama County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 69.0 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 64% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 16% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 33.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.2% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.5% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Tama County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and after dark. It runs above Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Tama County: 1 in 127 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.8%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 135 crashes involving commercial trucks in Tama County since 2015: 54 people were injured and 9 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 32 days.
Only 16 truck crashes were reported in Tama since 2015; patterns below come from Tama County as a whole.
61% of truck crash reports in Tama County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in November (12.6% of the year) and are lowest in May (3.7%).
November through March accounts for 48.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 11.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 15.8% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Tama is US-30, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-320TH St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.7% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Tama fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-30, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 33.9% 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
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 Tama County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 4 |
| CR-320TH St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tama County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 27 |
| US-63 | 11 |
| Ia 8 | 3 |
| Highway T47 | 2 |
| Highway V18 And 230Th St And H | 2 |
| New Highway 30 Construction | 2 |
| State 21/Iowa 21 And Us 30 And | 2 |
| T047/Hwy T47 | 2 |
Tama at a glance
| Population | 2,997 |
| Land area | 3.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,009 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52339) | $67,612 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52339) | $121,238 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tama 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 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 7 | +22% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 9 | +29% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 13 | +40% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 13 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Tama
How many truck accidents are there in Tama?
Tama County has had 135 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 54 people and killing 9.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Tama?
US-30 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Tama since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Tama?
The worst month is November: 12.6% of truck crashes in Tama County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Tama?
Since 2015, Tama County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 0.7% of its truck crashes.
How does Tama compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Tama County records 69.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Tama?
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.