Altona, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Altona: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Altona and Knox County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Knox County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 346 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Knox County compares with Illinois
Knox County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Knox County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Knox County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.0 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.0% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.9% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.6% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 32.1% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Knox County has lower values than Illinois for injuries per crash. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Knox County at a glance: 19.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.0% in Illinois.
Overview
Since 2015, 346 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Knox County. They injured 148 people and killed 12.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 12 days.
Altona had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Knox County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.3% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.6% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 19.0% of truck crashes, compared with 9.0% in Illinois.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Altona happened on US-34 (2), Access Rd (1) and I-74 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 1.4%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
Route planning tips for Altona fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 19.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Illinois; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Knox County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 2 |
| Access Rd | 1 |
| I-74 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Knox County) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 144 |
| US-34 | 20 |
| Henderson St | 4 |
| Illinois Route 97 | 4 |
| Knox Highway 10 | 4 |
| Knox Highway 12 | 4 |
| N Henderson St | 4 |
| S Linwood Rd | 3 |
Altona at a glance
| Population | 451 |
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
| Density | 481 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 61414) | $48,929 |
| Median home value (ZIP 61414) | $142,296 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Knox 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 | 16 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 18 | +14% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 26 | +46% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 30 | +13% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 16 to 30. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Altona
How many truck accidents are there in Altona?
Knox County has had 346 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 148 people and killing 12.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Altona?
Truck crashes in Knox County peak in January, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Altona?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Knox County since 2015 (1.4% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Altona compare with Illinois?
Per 100,000 residents, Knox County has 61.0 truck crashes a year; Illinois has 56.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Altona?
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.