Highland Park, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Highland Park: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Highland Park and Lake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lake County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lake County compares with Illinois
Lake County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lake County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.0 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 36% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.2% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.8% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.1% | 17.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.7% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Lake County has lower values than Illinois for crashes per 100k residents / yr. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Highland Park: 1.7× fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Highland Park per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (4.2 vs 2.5).
Overview
Police reported 3,005 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lake County since 2015: 1,469 people were injured and 88 were killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Only 112 truck crashes were reported in Highland Park since 2015; patterns below come from Lake County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 6.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.0% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 11.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
I-94 leads within 10 miles of Highland Park with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-294 (6), Golf Rd (2) and SR-43 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 52 of the truck crashes here, or 1.7%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (13% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.1 deaths compared with 2.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Highland Park fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-94 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Lake County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 11.2% of truck crashes here, more than Illinois; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 10 |
| I-294 | 6 |
| Golf Rd | 2 |
| SR-43 | 2 |
| US-41 | 2 |
| Beverly Dr | 1 |
| Buffalo Grove Rd | 1 |
| Central Rd | 1 |
| Lake Cook Rd | 1 |
| S Wolf Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lake County) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 533 |
| Skokie Valley Rd | 48 |
| Green Bay Rd | 40 |
| Deerfield Rd | 38 |
| SR-41 | 36 |
| Skokie Hwy | 36 |
| Waukegan Rd | 33 |
| Belvidere Rd | 31 |
Highland Park at a glance
| Population | 30,794 |
| Land area | 12.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,517 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60035) | $168,094 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60035) | $607,252 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lake 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 | 137 | — | 6.0 |
| 2000s | 259 | +89% | 4.9 |
| 2010s | 241 | -7% | 4.1 |
| 2020s | 248 | +3% | 9.2 |
In the 1990s about 137 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 248. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 4.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 9.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Highland Park
How common are truck crashes in Highland Park?
Since 2015, 3,005 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lake County (1,469 injured, 88 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Highland Park?
NHTSA data shows I-94 with 10 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Highland Park since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Highland Park?
Truck crashes in Lake County peak in January, with 10.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Highland Park?
Since 2015, Lake County has reported 52 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.7% of its truck crashes.
How does Highland Park compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
Lake County records 36.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.0 across Illinois.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Highland Park?
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.