Merrillville, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Merrillville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
10 of 471 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Merrillville compares with Indiana
Merrillville against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Merrillville stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Merrillville | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 105.9 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 21% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 11% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.7% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 16.7% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 25% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.9% | 17.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 35.3% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Merrillville sits below Indiana 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 Merrillville: I-80 deadliest road: 13 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Merrillville since 2015.
Overview
Merrillville has recorded 471 truck crashes since 2015, with 161 people injured and 10 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 10.8% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (4.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 41.5% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Indiana.
The busiest hour is 12–1 am, with 10.2% of truck crashes.
13.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 10 miles of Merrillville with 13 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-30 (6), Grant St (3) and US-12 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
10 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.1% share (Indiana: 2.4%).
Route planning tips for Merrillville fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Merrillville.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- With 13.7% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Indiana), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Merrillville
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 13 |
| US-30 | 6 |
| Grant St | 3 |
| US-12 | 3 |
| I- 80 | 2 |
| I-65 | 2 |
| I-90 | 2 |
| US-12W | 2 |
| US-20 | 2 |
| 101st | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Merrillville) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 270 |
| US-30 | 44 |
| E Lincoln Hwy | 12 |
| US-30E | 11 |
| W Lincoln Hwy | 7 |
| I-65S | 6 |
| US-30W | 6 |
| SR-55 | 5 |
Merrillville at a glance
| Population | 36,989 |
| Land area | 33.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,113 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46410) | $64,127 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46410) | $209,106 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Merrillville 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 | — | 10.2 |
| 2000s | 29 | +40% | 8.7 |
| 2010s | 32 | +9% | 6.4 |
| 2020s | 43 | +35% | 8.8 |
In the 1990s about 21 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 43. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Merrillville
How common are truck crashes in Merrillville?
Since 2015, 471 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Merrillville (161 injured, 10 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Merrillville?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Merrillville: 13.
When do most truck crashes happen in Merrillville?
December has the most truck crashes in Merrillville, 10.8% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Merrillville?
10 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Merrillville since 2015, 2.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Merrillville compared with Indiana?
Merrillville records 105.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Merrillville?
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.