Charleston, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Charleston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Charleston and Coles County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Coles County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 372 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Coles County compares with Illinois
Coles County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Coles County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Coles County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.8 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 10.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 15% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.2% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.8% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.3% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.5% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.9% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Illinois, Coles County is lower on garbage-truck share. It runs above Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Coles County at a glance: 10.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.6 across Illinois.
Overview
Police reported 372 crashes involving commercial trucks in Coles County since 2015: 210 people were injured and 39 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
Only 55 truck crashes were reported in Charleston since 2015; patterns below come from Coles County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.8% of the year) and are lowest in July (5.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.5% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (8.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.2% of truck crashes, compared with 9.0% in Illinois.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Charleston since 2015: SR-130 (2), SR-16 (2), 2100E (1), CR-1000N (1) and CR-7 Old State Rd (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 4 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
Route planning tips for Charleston fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 27.8% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Illinois.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 14.2% of truck crashes here, more than Illinois; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Coles County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-130 | 2 |
| SR-16 | 2 |
| 2100E | 1 |
| CR-1000N | 1 |
| CR-7 Old State Rd | 1 |
| I-57 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Coles County) |
|---|---|
| I-57 | 129 |
| Il-16 | 11 |
| SR-16 | 9 |
| Il-130 | 8 |
| North | 7 |
| Lincoln Ave | 7 |
| I-057 | 7 |
| Lincoln | 5 |
Charleston at a glance
| Population | 17,361 |
| Land area | 9.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,913 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 61920) | $52,429 |
| Median home value (ZIP 61920) | $148,890 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Coles 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 | 13 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 20 | +53% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 26 | +31% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 37 | +45% | 1.6 |
In the 1990s about 13 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 37. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Charleston
How common are truck crashes in Charleston?
Since 2015, 372 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Coles County (210 injured, 39 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Charleston?
January has the most truck crashes in Coles County, 11.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Charleston?
Garbage trucks were involved in 4 reported crashes in Coles County since 2015 (1.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Charleston compare with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 67.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Coles County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Charleston?
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.