West Middleton, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in West Middleton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in West Middleton and Howard County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Howard County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 388 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Howard County compares with Indiana
Howard County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Howard County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Howard County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 39.2 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 51% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.7 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.8% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.3% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.0% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 37% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.4% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Howard County has lower values than Indiana for crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Indiana on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Howard County: 1 in 28 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 3.6%, vs 2.4% in Indiana.
Overview
Since 2015, 388 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Howard County. They injured 139 people and killed 19.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in West Middleton since 2015; patterns below come from Howard County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 10.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.4% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Indiana.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 13.8% 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 West Middleton happened on US-31 (2), US-31N (2), Us- 35 (2), CR-300 (1) and CR-300N (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 15 of the truck crashes here, or 3.9%, compared with 2.4% in Indiana.
Route planning tips for West Middleton fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 25.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Indiana; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 13.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Indiana; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Howard County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-31 | 2 |
| US-31N | 2 |
| Us- 35 | 2 |
| CR-300 | 1 |
| CR-300N | 1 |
| Phillips St | 1 |
| SR-19S | 1 |
| SR-22 | 1 |
| SR-26E | 1 |
| SR-26W | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Howard County) |
|---|---|
| US-35 | 23 |
| US-31 | 20 |
| US-31N | 19 |
| SR-26E | 17 |
| SR-26W | 11 |
| SR-26 | 10 |
| SR-931 | 8 |
| SR-22 | 7 |
West Middleton at a glance
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Howard 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 | 21 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 32 | +53% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 33 | +5% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 30 | -9% | 1.2 |
In the 1990s about 21 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 30. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about West Middleton
How common are truck crashes in West Middleton?
388 truck crashes have been reported in Howard County since 2015, with 19 deaths and 139 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in West Middleton?
The worst month is October: 10.3% of truck crashes in Howard County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in West Middleton?
15 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Howard County since 2015, 3.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in West Middleton compare with Indiana?
Howard County records 39.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in West Middleton?
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.