Topeka, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Topeka: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Topeka and Mason County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mason County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 51 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mason County compares with Illinois
Mason County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mason County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mason County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.1 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 39% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 19% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.5% | 9.0% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.8% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.6% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 40% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 53.2% | 42.0% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 12.8% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 47% below the state |
Mason County has lower values than Illinois for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Illinois on morning rush (6–10 am) and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Mason County: 0 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.0%, vs 1.4% in Illinois.
Overview
Mason County has recorded 51 truck crashes since 2015, with 23 people injured and 3 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 85 days.
With 1 truck crash reported in Topeka since 2015, this page uses Mason County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 13.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 2.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 53.2% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 17.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 8.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Topeka happened on SR-10 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Mason County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Topeka fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 29.8% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Illinois.
- 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 Mason County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-10 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mason County) |
|---|---|
| US-136 | 9 |
| S Promenade St | 3 |
| Cr 1800E | 2 |
| Dearborn St. | 2 |
| E Dearborn Street | 2 |
| Il-78 | 2 |
| N Manito Rd | 2 |
| SR-136 | 2 |
Topeka at a glance
| Population | 56 |
| Land area | 0.1 sq mi |
| Density | 409 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 61567) | $68,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 61567) | $133,370 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Mason 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 | 2 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 4 | +95% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 5 | +23% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 5 | -3% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 5 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Topeka
How many truck crashes happen in Topeka?
Mason County has had 51 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 23 people and killing 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Topeka?
Truck crashes in Mason County peak in January, with 13.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Topeka?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mason County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Topeka compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 34.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Mason County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Topeka?
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.