Buffalo Hart, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Buffalo Hart: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Buffalo Hart and Sangamon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sangamon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sangamon County compares with Illinois
Sangamon County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sangamon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sangamon County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.3 | 56.0 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.6% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.0% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.5% | 42.0% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 24.4% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Sangamon County has lower values than Illinois for deaths per 100 crashes. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Sangamon County: 1 in 41 crashes involve a garbage truck (28 since 2015), vs 1.4% across Illinois.
Overview
Sangamon County has recorded 1,219 truck crashes since 2015, with 598 people injured and 31 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
Buffalo Hart had 4 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sangamon County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 12.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.8%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 45.5% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 7.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-55 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). Next come SR-54 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 28 crashes, 2.3% of the total, against 1.4% across Illinois.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in October (25%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Buffalo Hart fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-55 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: October is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Sangamon County.
- With 14.6% 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
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 Sangamon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-55 | 5 |
| SR-54 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sangamon County) |
|---|---|
| I-55 | 454 |
| I-72 | 121 |
| Il-104 | 13 |
| Il-97 | 12 |
| Il-29 | 12 |
| I-055 | 11 |
| I-55 (Sb) | 10 |
| Veterans | 9 |
Buffalo Hart at a glance
| Population | 171 |
| Land area | 22.7 sq mi |
| Density | 8 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sangamon 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 | 37 | — | 1.8 |
| 2000s | 64 | +74% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 92 | +44% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 108 | +17% | 4.0 |
In the 1990s about 37 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 108. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Buffalo Hart
How common are truck crashes in Buffalo Hart?
Since 2015, 1,219 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sangamon County (598 injured, 31 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Buffalo Hart?
I-55 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Buffalo Hart since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Buffalo Hart?
The worst month is February: 12.0% of truck crashes in Sangamon County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Buffalo Hart?
Since 2015, Sangamon County has reported 28 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
How does Buffalo Hart compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 53.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Sangamon County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Buffalo Hart?
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.