Afton, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Afton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Afton and Union County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Union County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 61 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Union County compares with Iowa
Union County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Union County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Union County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 44.1 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 12.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.2% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 8% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.6% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 43% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 19.0% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Union County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
Union County at a glance: 12.1 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Police reported 61 crashes involving commercial trucks in Union County since 2015: 29 people were injured and 8 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 69 days in fully reported years.
Afton had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Union County numbers.
52% of truck crash reports in Union County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 16.4% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (3.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 50.0% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 13.1% of truck crashes.
17.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Afton happened on US-34 (3); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Union County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Afton fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 25.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Union County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Union County) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 9 |
| Osage St | 3 |
| Maple St And Us 34 | 2 |
| State 25/S Sumner Ave And Us 3 | 2 |
| 140Th St | 1 |
| 150Th St | 1 |
| 190Th St | 1 |
| 190Th St And Us 34 | 1 |
Afton at a glance
| Population | 864 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 859 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50830) | $61,094 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50830) | $118,814 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Union 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 5 | +141% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 5 | -13% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 6 | +38% | 0.8 |
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. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Afton
How common are truck crashes in Afton?
61 truck crashes have been reported in Union County since 2015, with 8 deaths and 29 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Afton?
December has the most truck crashes in Union County, 16.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Afton?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Union County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Afton compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Union County records 44.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Afton?
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.