North Salem, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Salem: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Salem and Hendricks County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hendricks County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Hendricks County compares with Indiana
Hendricks County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hendricks County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hendricks County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.2 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 32% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.4% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 39% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.8% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.0% | 17.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 34.3% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Hendricks County has lower values than Indiana for crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and after dark.
Hendricks County at a glance: 1 in 28 garbage-truck share of crashes is 3.6%, against 2.4% for Indiana.
Overview
Police reported 1,265 crashes involving commercial trucks in Hendricks County since 2015: 402 people were injured and 41 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
North Salem had 7 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Hendricks County numbers.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 10.3% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.2%).
November through March accounts for 38.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 6.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 6.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Indiana: 10.6%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of North Salem is US-36, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-250 E (1), CR-500S (1) and CR-850 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 45 crashes, 3.6% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (13% of them).
They recorded 2.4 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for North Salem fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along US-36; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Hendricks County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-36 | 2 |
| CR-250 E | 1 |
| CR-500S | 1 |
| CR-850 | 1 |
| I-74E | 1 |
| SR-39 | 1 |
| SR-75 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hendricks County) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 163 |
| I-70W | 63 |
| I-70E | 62 |
| I-74 | 40 |
| SR-39 | 39 |
| Ronald Reagan | 38 |
| US-40 | 34 |
| US-36 | 32 |
North Salem at a glance
| Population | 474 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,382 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46165) | $86,488 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46165) | $360,205 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hendricks 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 | 37 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 75 | +101% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 84 | +12% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 116 | +39% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 37 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 116. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.2 a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Salem
How many truck crashes happen in North Salem?
Hendricks County has had 1,265 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 402 people and killing 41.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in North Salem?
US-36 had 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of North Salem since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in North Salem?
The worst month is August: 10.3% of truck crashes in Hendricks County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in North Salem?
45 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Hendricks County since 2015, 3.6% of all truck crashes.
How does North Salem compare with Indiana for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 55.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Hendricks County, vs 80.8 for Indiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Salem?
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.