Pendleton, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pendleton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pendleton and Madison County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Madison County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Madison County compares with Indiana
Madison County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Madison County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Madison County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.4 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 33% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.7% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.5% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.3% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.7% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 30.9% | 32.0% | 24.8% | same |
Madison County sits below Indiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share.
The headline for Pendleton: I-69 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Pendleton since 2015.
Overview
Madison County has recorded 846 truck crashes since 2015, with 320 people injured and 20 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
Pendleton had 166 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Madison County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.0% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 41.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 am than at any other hour (7.9%).
7.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-69 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). After it: SR-38 (2), 38th St (1) and Campus Pkwy (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 27 crashes, 3.2% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (22% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.0 deaths compared with 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Pendleton fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-69; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Madison County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-69 | 4 |
| SR-38 | 2 |
| 38th St | 1 |
| Campus Pkwy | 1 |
| Madison Ave | 1 |
| Main St | 1 |
| SR-13 | 1 |
| SR-234 | 1 |
| SR-32W | 1 |
| Sr- 13S | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Madison County) |
|---|---|
| I-69 | 166 |
| I-69S | 71 |
| I-69N | 54 |
| SR-28 | 23 |
| SR-13S | 14 |
| SR-9 | 13 |
| SR-9N | 13 |
| Main | 10 |
Pendleton at a glance
| Population | 5,758 |
| Land area | 13.5 sq mi |
| Density | 426 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46064) | $94,609 |
| Median home value (ZIP 46064) | $282,243 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Madison 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 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 51 | +148% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 64 | +25% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 66 | +3% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 21 to 66. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pendleton
How common are truck crashes in Pendleton?
Since 2015, 846 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Madison County (320 injured, 20 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Pendleton?
Since 2015, I-69 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Pendleton: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Pendleton?
The worst month is October: 10.0% of truck crashes in Madison County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Pendleton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 27 reported crashes in Madison County since 2015 (3.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Pendleton compare with Indiana?
Per 100,000 residents, Madison County has 54.4 truck crashes a year; Indiana has 80.8.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Pendleton?
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.