Pendleton, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pendleton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pendleton and Jefferson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jefferson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 796 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Jefferson County compares with Illinois
Jefferson County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jefferson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jefferson County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 182.8 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 3.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 70% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.7% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.4% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.6% | 42.0% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.2% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Jefferson County has lower values than Illinois for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Jefferson County: 1 in 244 crashes involve a garbage truck (4 since 2015), vs 1.4% across Illinois.
Overview
Since 2015, 796 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Jefferson County. They injured 367 people and killed 38.
That averages about one truck crash every 6 days in fully reported years.
Pendleton had 39 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Jefferson County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.6% of the year) and are lowest in September (5.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.6% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (8.9%).
5.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.0% across Illinois.
Where crashes happen
I-64 leads within 10 miles of Pendleton with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-57 (3), SR-142 (1) and SR-15 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 0.5% of the total, against 1.4% across Illinois.
Route planning tips for Pendleton fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-64, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Jefferson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-64 | 5 |
| I-57 | 3 |
| SR-142 | 1 |
| SR-15 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jefferson County) |
|---|---|
| I-57 | 354 |
| I-64 | 151 |
| I-057 | 20 |
| Broadway | 19 |
| I-064 | 7 |
| Veterans Memorial Dr | 6 |
| E Lynchberg Rd | 6 |
| Broadway St | 6 |
Pendleton at a glance
| Population | 1,127 |
| Land area | 35.5 sq mi |
| Density | 32 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 62872) | $62,344 |
| Median home value (ZIP 62872) | $104,143 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jefferson 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 | 14 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 31 | +114% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 51 | +67% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 72 | +42% | 2.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 14 to 72. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pendleton
How many truck crashes happen in Pendleton?
796 truck crashes have been reported in Jefferson County since 2015, with 38 deaths and 367 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Pendleton?
Since 2015, I-64 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Pendleton: 5.
When do most truck crashes happen in Pendleton?
January has the most truck crashes in Jefferson County, 11.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Pendleton?
Since 2015, Jefferson County has reported 4 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Pendleton compared with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 182.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Jefferson County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Pendleton?
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.