Lake Santee, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Santee: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Santee and Decatur County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Decatur County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 425 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Decatur County compares with Indiana
Decatur County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Decatur County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Decatur County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 132.1 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 23% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.3% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.4% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.7% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 37.0% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Decatur County has lower values than Indiana for garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Lake Santee: I-74 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Santee since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 425 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Decatur County. They injured 163 people and killed 13.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 10 days.
Lake Santee had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Decatur County numbers.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 11.8% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Indiana.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 8.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Indiana: 10.6%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Lake Santee is I-74, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-3 (2), CR-850 (1) and CR-COUNTY Line Road (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 7 crashes, 1.6% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Route planning tips for Lake Santee fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-74; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 14.3% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Decatur County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 4 |
| SR-3 | 2 |
| CR-850 | 1 |
| CR-COUNTY Line Road | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Decatur County) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 104 |
| I-74W | 40 |
| I-74E | 39 |
| SR-3N | 20 |
| State Rd 3 | 14 |
| SR-3S | 14 |
| US-421 | 10 |
| US-421N | 9 |
Lake Santee at a glance
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Decatur 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 | 7 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 20 | +180% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 32 | +59% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 34 | +8% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 7 to 34. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Santee
How many truck crashes happen in Lake Santee?
Decatur County has had 425 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 163 people and killing 13.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lake Santee?
Since 2015, I-74 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Santee: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lake Santee?
February has the most truck crashes in Decatur County, 11.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Lake Santee?
Since 2015, Decatur County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.6% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Lake Santee compare with Indiana?
Decatur County records 132.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lake Santee?
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.