Wadsworth, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wadsworth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wadsworth 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.
Wadsworth at a glance: 2.5× fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Wadsworth per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (5.6 vs 2.2).
Overview
Lake County has recorded 3,005 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,469 people injured and 88 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Wadsworth had 46 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lake County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 6.9%.
November through March accounts for 41.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.0% in Illinois.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, 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
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Wadsworth since 2015 were spread across roads: I-94 (6), US-41 (6), I-41 (3), CR-19 Russell Rd (2) and SR-120 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 52 crashes, 1.7% of the total, against 1.4% across Illinois.
Their busiest month is December, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.1, vs 2.9 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Wadsworth fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at December schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- With 11.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Illinois), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 6 |
| US-41 | 6 |
| I-41 | 3 |
| CR-19 Russell Rd | 2 |
| SR-120 | 2 |
| SR-131 | 2 |
| CR-17 | 1 |
| CR-22 (Delany Rd) | 1 |
| CR-27 | 1 |
| CR-Q 104Th St | 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 |
Wadsworth at a glance
| Population | 3,502 |
| Land area | 9.8 sq mi |
| Density | 356 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60083) | $123,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60083) | $322,347 |
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 Wadsworth
How many truck crashes happen in Wadsworth?
Lake County has had 3,005 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,469 people and killing 88.
When do most truck crashes happen in Wadsworth?
Truck crashes in Lake County peak in January, with 10.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Wadsworth?
Since 2015, Lake County has reported 52 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.7% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Wadsworth compare with Illinois?
Per 100,000 residents, Lake County has 36.0 truck crashes a year; Illinois has 56.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Wadsworth?
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.