Wilmette, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wilmette: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wilmette and Cook County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cook County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Cook County compares with Illinois
Cook County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cook County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cook County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.0 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 50% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.7% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 17.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.0% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Illinois, Cook County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Wilmette: I-294 deadliest road: 7 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Wilmette since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 29,495 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cook County. They injured 15,477 people and killed 367.
That averages about 7 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
With 52 truck crashes reported in Wilmette since 2015, this page uses Cook County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.6% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 5.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Wilmette is I-294, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-94 (4), I-90 (3) and Golf Rd (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 425 of the truck crashes here, or 1.4%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (11%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.2 deaths compared with 1.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Wilmette fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cook County.
- Check whether your routes use I-294, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Cook County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-294 | 7 |
| I-94 | 4 |
| I-90 | 3 |
| Golf Rd | 2 |
| US-14 | 2 |
| Central Rd | 1 |
| Central St | 1 |
| Damen Ave | 1 |
| Howard St | 1 |
| Kedzie Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cook County) |
|---|---|
| I-294 | 2,877 |
| I-90 | 989 |
| I-94 | 802 |
| I-290 | 473 |
| I-55 | 458 |
| I-80 | 348 |
| S Cicero Ave | 339 |
| I-57 | 296 |
Wilmette at a glance
| Population | 27,443 |
| Land area | 5.4 sq mi |
| Density | 5,081 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60091) | $189,909 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60091) | $815,961 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cook 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 | 1,033 | — | 42.5 |
| 2000s | 2,315 | +124% | 36.0 |
| 2010s | 2,360 | +2% | 20.9 |
| 2020s | 2,496 | +6% | 37.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 1,033 to 2,496. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 27.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 37.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wilmette
How many truck crashes happen in Wilmette?
29,495 truck crashes have been reported in Cook County since 2015, with 367 deaths and 15,477 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Wilmette?
NHTSA data shows I-294 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Wilmette since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Wilmette?
Truck crashes in Cook County peak in June, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Wilmette?
425 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cook County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Wilmette compare with Illinois?
Cook County records 49.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.0 across Illinois.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Wilmette?
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.