Lowell, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lowell: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lowell 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 Lowell: US-41 4 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Lowell.
Overview
Lake County has recorded 6,927 truck crashes since 2015, with 2,451 people injured and 108 killed.
That averages about 2 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
Lowell had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lake County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 9.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.5%.
November through March accounts for 42.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
By time of day, 12–1 am stands out with 9.0% of truck crashes.
12.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
US-41 leads within 10 miles of Lowell with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-17 (2), SR-55 (2) and SR-017 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 94 crashes, 1.4% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (11%).
They recorded 1.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Lowell fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake County.
- Check whether your routes use US-41, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Lake County.
- With 12.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Indiana), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-41 | 4 |
| SR-17 | 2 |
| SR-55 | 2 |
| SR-017 | 1 |
| SR-2 | 1 |
| Sr- 17 | 1 |
| Sr- 2 | 1 |
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 |
Lowell at a glance
| Population | 11,449 |
| Land area | 7.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,630 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46356) | $89,217 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46356) | $277,570 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 352 a year in the 1990s and 647 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 6.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 8.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lowell
How many truck accidents are there in Lowell?
Since 2015, 6,927 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lake County (2,451 injured, 108 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lowell?
Since 2015, US-41 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lowell: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Lowell?
The worst month is January: 9.8% of truck crashes in Lake County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lowell?
94 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lake County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How does Lowell compare with Indiana for truck crashes?
Lake County records 117.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Lowell?
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.