Meriden, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Meriden: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Meriden 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 runs above Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for LaSalle County: 16.8% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.0% across Illinois.
Overview
LaSalle County has recorded 1,266 truck crashes since 2015, with 578 people injured and 56 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Only 6 truck crashes were reported in Meriden since 2015; patterns below come from LaSalle County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 6.2%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.2% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 16.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Meriden since 2015: US-34 (2), US-52 (2) and I-39 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 8 of the truck crashes here, or 0.6%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
Route planning tips for Meriden fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 16.8% 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
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 | 2 |
| US-52 | 2 |
| I-39 | 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 |
Meriden at a glance
| Population | 265 |
| Land area | 35.3 sq mi |
| Density | 8 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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 34 a year in the 1990s and 106 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Meriden
How common are truck crashes in Meriden?
Since 2015, 1,266 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in LaSalle County (578 injured, 56 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Meriden?
Truck crashes in LaSalle County peak in January, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Meriden?
Since 2015, LaSalle County has reported 8 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Meriden compared with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 101.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in LaSalle County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Meriden?
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.