Pottawattamie Park, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pottawattamie Park: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pottawattamie Park and LaPorte County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use LaPorte County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.6 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How LaPorte County compares with Indiana
LaPorte County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where LaPorte County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | LaPorte County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 133.8 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 27% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.2% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 2.0× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.9% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 32.8% | 32.0% | 24.8% | same |
LaPorte County has lower values than Indiana for garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in LaPorte County: 21.2% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Overview
Police reported 1,765 crashes involving commercial trucks in LaPorte County since 2015: 639 people were injured and 55 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Pottawattamie Park had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use LaPorte County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.9% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.7%).
November through March accounts for 48.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (8.7%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 21.2% of truck crashes, compared with 10.6% in Indiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Pottawattamie Park is US-20, with 11 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-94 (7), I-80 (4) and US-421 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 29 crashes, 1.6% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Their busiest month is January, with 24% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.6 deaths compared with 3.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Pottawattamie Park fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-20 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 21.2% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 LaPorte County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-20 | 11 |
| I-94 | 7 |
| I-80 | 4 |
| US-421 | 2 |
| CR-400N | 1 |
| SR-2 | 1 |
| SR-39 | 1 |
| US-12 | 1 |
| US-35 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (LaPorte County) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 338 |
| I-80 | 283 |
| US-20 | 259 |
| US-30 | 139 |
| US-421 | 93 |
| SR-2 | 57 |
| US-35 | 49 |
| SR-39 | 39 |
Pottawattamie Park at a glance
| Population | 235 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 929 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in LaPorte 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 | 68 | — | 6.3 |
| 2000s | 128 | +88% | 5.6 |
| 2010s | 146 | +14% | 4.1 |
| 2020s | 140 | -4% | 3.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 68 a year in the 1990s and 140 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 5.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pottawattamie Park
How common are truck crashes in Pottawattamie Park?
LaPorte County has had 1,765 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 639 people and killing 55.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Pottawattamie Park?
NHTSA data shows US-20 with 11 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Pottawattamie Park since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Pottawattamie Park?
January has the most truck crashes in LaPorte County, 13.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Pottawattamie Park?
Since 2015, LaPorte County has reported 29 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.6% of its truck crashes.
How does Pottawattamie Park compare with Indiana for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, LaPorte County has 133.8 truck crashes a year; Indiana has 80.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Pottawattamie Park?
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.