Salem, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Salem and Marion County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Marion County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 378 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Marion County compares with Illinois
Marion County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Marion County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Marion County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 91.3 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 20% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.7% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.1% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 21% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.9% | 17.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.1% | 42.0% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 29.5% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Marion County sits below Illinois on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Salem at a glance: US-50 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Salem: 3 since 2015.
Overview
Marion County has recorded 378 truck crashes since 2015, with 208 people injured and 12 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 85 truck crashes were reported in Salem since 2015; patterns below come from Marion County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 12.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 4.0%.
November through March accounts for 45.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.0% in Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (7.7%).
Road surface: 10.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
US-50 leads within 10 miles of Salem with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-57 (2) and SR-37 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.1% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
Route planning tips for Salem fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-50, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 10.7% 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 Marion County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-50 | 3 |
| I-57 | 2 |
| SR-37 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Marion County) |
|---|---|
| I-57 | 203 |
| US-51 | 15 |
| US-50 | 9 |
| W Main St | 8 |
| Noleman | 5 |
| I-057 | 4 |
| Il-37 | 4 |
| W Main | 3 |
Salem at a glance
| Population | 7,016 |
| Land area | 7.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,004 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 62881) | $71,270 |
| Median home value (ZIP 62881) | $111,482 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Marion 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 | 10 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 20 | +95% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 32 | +59% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 34 | +6% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 10 a year in the 1990s and 34 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Salem
How many truck accidents are there in Salem?
Marion County has had 378 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 208 people and killing 12.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Salem?
Since 2015, US-50 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Salem: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Salem?
The worst month is June: 12.2% of truck crashes in Marion County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Salem?
Garbage trucks were involved in 4 reported crashes in Marion County since 2015 (1.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Salem compare with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 91.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Marion County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Salem?
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.