Earl, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Earl: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Earl and LaSalle County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use LaSalle County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 1,266 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How LaSalle County compares with Illinois
LaSalle County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where LaSalle County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | LaSalle County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 101.1 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.6 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.7% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 51% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 16.8% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.2% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.2% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.4% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
LaSalle County sits below Illinois on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for LaSalle County: 16.8% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.0% in Illinois.
Overview
Police reported 1,266 crashes involving commercial trucks in LaSalle County since 2015: 578 people were injured and 56 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 5 truck crashes were reported in Earl since 2015; patterns below come from LaSalle County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.4% of the year) and are lowest in July (6.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.2% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 16.8% of truck crashes, compared with 9.0% in Illinois.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Earl is US-34, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-39 (1) and SR-23 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 8 crashes, 0.6% of the total, against 1.4% across Illinois.
Route planning tips for Earl fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-34 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 16.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Illinois; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 LaSalle County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 3 |
| I-39 | 1 |
| SR-23 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (LaSalle County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 424 |
| I-39 | 227 |
| Columbus St | 11 |
| SR-251 | 11 |
| I-080 | 9 |
| E 8Th Rd | 9 |
| Il Rt 71 | 8 |
| US-34 | 8 |
Earl at a glance
| Population | 2,433 |
| Land area | 37.5 sq mi |
| Density | 65 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60518) | $69,980 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60518) | $162,775 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in LaSalle 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 | 34 | — | 2.4 |
| 2000s | 74 | +120% | 3.7 |
| 2010s | 100 | +35% | 3.1 |
| 2020s | 106 | +6% | 3.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 34 to 106. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Earl
How many truck crashes happen in Earl?
LaSalle County has had 1,266 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 578 people and killing 56.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Earl?
US-34 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Earl since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Earl?
Truck crashes in LaSalle County peak in January, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Earl?
Since 2015, LaSalle County has reported 8 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.6% of its truck crashes.
How does Earl compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
LaSalle County records 101.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.0 across Illinois.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Earl?
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.