Melvin, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Melvin: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Melvin and Ford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ford County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 138 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ford County compares with Illinois
Ford County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ford County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 89.2 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 2.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 44% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.6% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 16.7% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 32% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.1% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 32% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.2% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Compared with Illinois, Ford County is lower on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Ford County: 6.1 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.6 in Illinois.
Overview
Police reported 138 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ford County since 2015: 87 people were injured and 8 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 30 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Melvin since 2015; patterns below come from Ford County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 15.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is September at 2.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.9% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (12.3%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 13.6% of truck crashes, compared with 9.0% in Illinois.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Melvin happened on I-57 (2) and SR-9 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.7%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
Route planning tips for Melvin fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ford County.
- 13.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Illinois; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Ford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-57 | 2 |
| SR-9 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ford County) |
|---|---|
| I-57 | 26 |
| Il-47 | 11 |
| Il-9 | 7 |
| N Il-54 | 5 |
| Il-54 | 4 |
| SR-47 | 3 |
| S Market St | 3 |
| N 400E Rd | 3 |
Melvin at a glance
| Population | 418 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,208 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60952) | $67,083 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60952) | $127,147 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ford 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 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 7 | +80% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 10 | +46% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 13 | +22% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 4 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 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Melvin
How common are truck crashes in Melvin?
138 truck crashes have been reported in Ford County since 2015, with 8 deaths and 87 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Melvin?
July has the most truck crashes in Ford County, 15.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Melvin?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Ford County since 2015, 0.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Melvin compared with Illinois?
Per 100,000 residents, Ford County has 89.2 truck crashes a year; Illinois has 56.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Melvin?
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.