Wataga, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wataga: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wataga 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 sits below Illinois on 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% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Overview
Police reported 346 crashes involving commercial trucks in Knox County since 2015: 148 people were injured and 12 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 12 days in fully reported years.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Wataga since 2015; patterns below come from Knox County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.3% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (5.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.6% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out 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
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Wataga since 2015: I-74 (2), US-34 (2) and US-150 (1). No single road stands out.
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 Wataga 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.
- 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 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 |
Wataga at a glance
| Population | 723 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 872 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 Wataga
How common are truck crashes in Wataga?
Knox County has had 346 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 148 people and killing 12.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Wataga?
Truck crashes in Knox County peak in January, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Wataga?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Knox County since 2015 (1.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Wataga 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 Wataga?
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.