Elk, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elk: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elk and Jackson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jackson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 184 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Jackson County compares with Illinois
Jackson County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jackson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jackson County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 28.7 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 49% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 2.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.2% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 54% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.2% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.3% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 37% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.9% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 14.9% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 38% below the state |
Compared with Illinois, Jackson County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Jackson County: 1 in 28 garbage-truck share of crashes is 3.6%, against 1.4% for Illinois.
Overview
Since 2015, 184 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Jackson County. They injured 92 people and killed 5.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 24 days.
Elk had 3 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Jackson County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (11.4% of the year) and are lowest in January (6.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.9% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (11.4%).
Road surface: 4.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Elk since 2015: SR-149 (1) and SR-152 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
6 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
Route planning tips for Elk fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 26.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Illinois.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Jackson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-149 | 1 |
| SR-152 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jackson County) |
|---|---|
| US-51 | 10 |
| Main | 9 |
| Il-4 | 9 |
| Il-3 | 9 |
| Walnut St | 9 |
| Il-127 | 8 |
| W Main St | 7 |
| E Main St | 5 |
Elk at a glance
| Population | 1,742 |
| Land area | 35.8 sq mi |
| Density | 49 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 62932) | $46,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 62932) | $83,839 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jackson 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 | 8 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 14 | +83% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 16 | +13% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 13 | -19% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 13. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elk
How common are truck crashes in Elk?
Jackson County has had 184 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 92 people and killing 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Elk?
The worst month is June: 11.4% of truck crashes in Jackson County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Elk?
Garbage trucks were involved in 6 reported crashes in Jackson County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
How does Elk compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Jackson County has 28.7 truck crashes a year; Illinois has 56.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Elk?
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.