East Chicago, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in East Chicago: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in East Chicago and Lake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lake County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lake County compares with Indiana
Lake County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lake County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 117.4 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 45% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 40% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.4% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.1% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.9% | 17.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 35.8% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with Indiana, Lake County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Indiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for East Chicago: 1.7× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of East Chicago (5.8 → 9.6).
Overview
Since 2015, 6,927 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lake County. They injured 2,451 people and killed 108.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 2 truck crashes every day.
Only 193 truck crashes were reported in East Chicago since 2015; patterns below come from Lake County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 9.8% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 42.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
The busiest hour is 12–1 am, with 9.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.4% of truck crashes, compared with 10.6% in Indiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of East Chicago is I-80, with 22 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-94 (8), Grant St (3) and I-90 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
94 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Indiana: 2.4%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (11% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.1 deaths compared with 1.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for East Chicago fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Lake County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 12.4% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 22 |
| I-94 | 8 |
| Grant St | 3 |
| I-90 | 3 |
| SR-83 | 3 |
| US-12 | 3 |
| Brainard Ave | 2 |
| I- 80 | 2 |
| US-12W | 2 |
| US-41N | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lake County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 2,571 |
| I-65 | 1,116 |
| I-90 | 224 |
| US-41 | 101 |
| I-94 | 89 |
| US-30 | 85 |
| I-80E | 68 |
| US-41S | 57 |
East Chicago at a glance
| Population | 25,768 |
| Land area | 14.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,826 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46312) | $42,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46312) | $104,207 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lake 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 | 352 | — | 10.2 |
| 2000s | 554 | +58% | 8.7 |
| 2010s | 482 | -13% | 6.4 |
| 2020s | 647 | +34% | 8.8 |
In the 1990s about 352 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 647. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 6.2 a year in 2016–19 and 8.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about East Chicago
How many truck crashes happen in East Chicago?
6,927 truck crashes have been reported in Lake County since 2015, with 108 deaths and 2,451 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in East Chicago?
NHTSA data shows I-80 with 22 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of East Chicago since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in East Chicago?
The worst month is January: 9.8% of truck crashes in Lake County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in East Chicago?
Garbage trucks were involved in 94 reported crashes in Lake County since 2015 (1.4% of truck crashes).
How does East Chicago compare with Indiana for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 117.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lake County, vs 80.8 for Indiana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in East Chicago?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.