Nappanee, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Nappanee: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Nappanee 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 has lower values than Indiana for after dark. It runs above Indiana on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Nappanee: US-6 4 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Nappanee.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,956 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Elkhart County. They injured 815 people and killed 63.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Nappanee had 0 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
The worst month is January with 11.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.6% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Indiana.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.3% of truck crashes, compared with 10.6% in Indiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Nappanee is US-6, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come Us- 6 (3), CR-40 (2) and SR-119 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
59 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Indiana: 2.4%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in November (17% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Nappanee fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Elkhart County.
- Look at alternatives to US-6 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Elkhart County.
- 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.
- 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 Elkhart County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-6 | 4 |
| Us- 6 | 3 |
| CR-40 | 2 |
| SR-119 | 2 |
| SR-15 | 2 |
| Beech Rd | 1 |
| CR-17 | 1 |
| CR-42 | 1 |
| CR-800 | 1 |
| CR-9 | 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 |
Nappanee at a glance
| Population | 6,902 |
| Land area | 4.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,400 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46550) | $84,084 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46550) | $291,533 |
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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.5 a year in 2016–19, 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Nappanee
How common are truck crashes in Nappanee?
Since 2015, 1,956 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Elkhart County (815 injured, 63 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Nappanee?
NHTSA data shows US-6 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Nappanee since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Nappanee?
January has the most truck crashes in Elkhart County, 11.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Nappanee?
Since 2015, Elkhart County has reported 59 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Nappanee compared with Indiana?
Per 100,000 residents, Elkhart County has 81.7 truck crashes a year; Indiana has 80.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Nappanee?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.