Elba, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elba: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elba 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.0% across Illinois.
Overview
Police reported 346 crashes involving commercial trucks in Knox County since 2015: 148 people were injured and 12 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 12 days.
Elba had 29 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%).
November through March accounts for 44.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.0% in Illinois.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 19.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Elba.
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
Route planning tips for Elba fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 19.0% of truck crashes here, more than Illinois; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
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 |
Elba at a glance
| Population | 250 |
| Land area | 36.3 sq mi |
| Density | 7 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 61572) | $73,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 61572) | $111,725 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 16 a year in the 1990s and 30 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Elba
How many truck accidents are there in Elba?
Since 2015, 346 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Knox County (148 injured, 12 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Elba?
Truck crashes in Knox County peak in January, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Elba?
Since 2015, Knox County has reported 5 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Elba compared with Illinois?
Per 100,000 residents, Knox County has 61.0 truck crashes a year; Illinois has 56.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Elba?
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.