Vistula, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Vistula: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Vistula 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 |
Compared with Indiana, Elkhart County is lower on after dark. It runs above Indiana on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Elkhart County at a glance: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 17% of them.
Overview
Police reported 1,956 crashes involving commercial trucks in Elkhart County since 2015: 815 people were injured and 63 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Vistula had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Elkhart County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.3% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (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
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Vistula happened on I-80 (5), US-20 (5), CR-17 (2), SR-120 (2) and US-12 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 59 crashes, 3.0% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Their busiest month is November, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 3.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Vistula fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Elkhart County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 28.3% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; adjust start times where you can.
- 14.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Indiana; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 5 |
| US-20 | 5 |
| CR-17 | 2 |
| SR-120 | 2 |
| US-12 | 2 |
| US-131 | 2 |
| CR-35 | 1 |
| CR-LUTZ Rd | 1 |
| SR-120E | 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 |
Vistula at a glance
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46540) | $96,615 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46540) | $313,928 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 89 a year in the 1990s and 155 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.5 a year in 2016–19 and 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Vistula
How many truck accidents are there in Vistula?
Elkhart County has had 1,956 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 815 people and killing 63.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Vistula?
Truck crashes in Elkhart County peak in January, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Vistula?
Since 2015, Elkhart County has reported 59 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Vistula compare 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 Vistula?
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.