Sparta Township, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sparta Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sparta Township 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. Where it is 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
Sparta Township had 11 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.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 6.9% of truck crashes.
19.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.0% across Illinois.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Sparta happened on I-74 (2), US-34 (2) and US-150 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
5 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
Route planning tips for Sparta Township fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 19.0% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Illinois), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 2 |
| US-34 | 2 |
| US-150 | 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 |
Sparta Township at a glance
| Population | 1,034 |
| Land area | 36.1 sq mi |
| Density | 29 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 61488) | $68,333 |
| Median home value (ZIP 61488) | $114,688 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 16 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 30. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sparta Township
How common are truck crashes in Sparta Township?
346 truck crashes have been reported in Knox County since 2015, with 12 deaths and 148 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Sparta Township?
Truck crashes in Knox County peak in January, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Sparta Township?
Since 2015, Knox County has reported 5 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Sparta Township compared with Illinois?
Knox County records 61.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.0 across Illinois.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Sparta Township?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.