Potlatch, ID truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Potlatch: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Potlatch and Latah County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Latah County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 88 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Latah County compares with Idaho
Latah County against Idaho and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Latah County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Latah County | Idaho | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 17.5 | 37.4 | 49.7 | 53% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 20% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.57 | 0.55 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 3.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.1% | 16.0% | 6.2% | 30% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.2% | 23.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.6% | 10.2% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 30.9% | 40.9% | 41.9% | 25% below the state |
| After dark | 19.8% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 13% below the state |
Latah County has lower values than Idaho for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Latah County: 1 in 20 crashes involve a garbage truck (5 since 2015), vs 1.6% across Idaho.
Overview
Since 2015, 88 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Latah County. They injured 54 people and killed 5.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 50 days.
With 11 truck crashes reported in Potlatch since 2015, this page uses Latah County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (14.8% of the year) and are lowest in February (3.4%).
November through March accounts for 30.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.9% in Idaho.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 11.1% of truck crashes, compared with 16.0% in Idaho.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Potlatch since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-6 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.7% share (Idaho: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Potlatch fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Latah County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-6 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Latah County) |
|---|---|
| US-95 | 28 |
| Sh 3 | 10 |
| Sh 8 | 9 |
| Sh 9 | 4 |
| Sh 99 | 3 |
| Sh 6 | 3 |
| Main St | 2 |
| Palouse River Dr | 2 |
Potlatch at a glance
| Population | 810 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,742 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 83855) | $84,423 |
| Median home value (ZIP 83855) | $297,953 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Latah 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 | 4 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 12 | +159% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 9 | -22% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 7 | -26% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 7. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Potlatch
How common are truck crashes in Potlatch?
88 truck crashes have been reported in Latah County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 54 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Potlatch?
September has the most truck crashes in Latah County, 14.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Potlatch?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Latah County since 2015, 5.7% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Potlatch compare with Idaho?
Latah County records 17.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 37.4 across Idaho.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Potlatch?
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.