Benton, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benton and Elkhart County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Elkhart 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 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Elkhart County compares with Indiana
Elkhart County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Elkhart County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Elkhart County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 81.7 | 80.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.3% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.3% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.2% | 17.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.2% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Elkhart County sits below Indiana on after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Benton: US-6 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Benton: 6 since 2015.
Overview
Elkhart County has recorded 1,956 truck crashes since 2015, with 815 people injured and 63 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Benton had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Elkhart County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 45.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 7.9% 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 Benton is US-6, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by CR-40 (3), CR-17 (2) and SR-119 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 59 crashes, 3.0% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in November (17% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Benton fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-6 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 28.3% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Indiana.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 14.3% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Elkhart County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-6 | 6 |
| CR-40 | 3 |
| CR-17 | 2 |
| SR-119 | 2 |
| SR-5 | 2 |
| US-33 | 2 |
| CR-35 | 1 |
| CR-38 | 1 |
| Lincoln Ave | 1 |
| SR-15 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Elkhart County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 245 |
| US-20 | 207 |
| US-33 | 110 |
| US-6 | 77 |
| SR-15 | 71 |
| SR-13 | 59 |
| SR-19 | 47 |
| SR-120 | 47 |
Benton at a glance
| Population | 3,252 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 3,409 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46553) | $89,417 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46553) | $275,074 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Elkhart 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 | 89 | — | 5.4 |
| 2000s | 148 | +67% | 4.3 |
| 2010s | 160 | +8% | 4.2 |
| 2020s | 155 | -3% | 5.0 |
In the 1990s about 89 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 155. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 4.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benton
How common are truck crashes in Benton?
Elkhart County has had 1,956 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 815 people and killing 63.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Benton?
US-6 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Benton since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Benton?
The worst month is January: 11.3% of truck crashes in Elkhart County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Benton?
59 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Elkhart County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Benton compared with Indiana?
Elkhart County records 81.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Benton?
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.