Kelso, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kelso: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kelso and Dearborn County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dearborn County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
18 of 444 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dearborn County compares with Indiana
Dearborn County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dearborn County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dearborn County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 78.4 | 80.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 31% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.2% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.4% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.7% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 27.1% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Dearborn County sits below Indiana on deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It runs above Indiana on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Dearborn County at a glance: 1 in 22 crashes involve a garbage truck (18 since 2015), vs 2.4% across Indiana.
Overview
Dearborn County has recorded 444 truck crashes since 2015, with 239 people injured and 11 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Kelso since 2015; patterns below come from Dearborn County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.5% of the year) and are lowest in May (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 46.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.2% of truck crashes, compared with 10.6% in Indiana.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-52 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by I-74 (2), CR-HARRISON Brookville Rd (1) and SR-1 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
18 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.1% share (Indiana: 2.4%).
Route planning tips for Kelso fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-52, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 26.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Indiana; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- With 12.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Indiana), 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.
Crash reporting for 2021 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Dearborn County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-52 | 3 |
| I-74 | 2 |
| CR-HARRISON Brookville Rd | 1 |
| SR-1 | 1 |
| SR-48E | 1 |
| Sr- 1 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dearborn County) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 74 |
| US-50 | 34 |
| US-50E | 34 |
| I-74W | 28 |
| US-50W | 21 |
| I-74E | 17 |
| I-275N | 14 |
| I-275 | 13 |
Kelso at a glance
| Population | 2,511 |
| Land area | 25.5 sq mi |
| Density | 98 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 47022) | $93,633 |
| Median home value (ZIP 47022) | $284,428 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dearborn 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 | 19 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 33 | +73% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 40 | +24% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 37 | -9% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 19 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 37. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Kelso
How many truck accidents are there in Kelso?
Dearborn County has had 444 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 239 people and killing 11.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Kelso?
NHTSA data shows US-52 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Kelso since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Kelso?
January has the most truck crashes in Dearborn County, 13.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Kelso?
Since 2015, Dearborn County has reported 18 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.1% of its truck crashes.
How does Kelso compare with Indiana for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Dearborn County has 78.4 truck crashes a year; Indiana has 80.8.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Kelso?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2021; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.