Napoleon, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Napoleon: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Napoleon and Ripley County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ripley County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
20 of 320 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ripley County compares with Indiana
Ripley County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ripley County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ripley County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 94.0 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.6 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.3% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.0% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 34% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.6% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.4% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.8% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 19% below the state |
Compared with Indiana, Ripley County is lower on on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Ripley County: 1 in 16 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 6.3%, vs 2.4% in Indiana.
Overview
Police reported 320 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ripley County since 2015: 114 people were injured and 15 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 13 days in fully reported years.
Only 16 truck crashes were reported in Napoleon since 2015; patterns below come from Ripley County as a whole.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 12.5% of the yearly total, while September has the fewest (6.6%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.4% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Indiana.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
7.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Napoleon is US-421, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-74 (3), CR-COUNTY Line Road (1) and SR-350 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 20 of the truck crashes here, or 6.2%, compared with 2.4% in Indiana.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in November (20%).
Route planning tips for Napoleon fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ripley County.
- Check whether your routes use US-421, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at November schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 26.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Indiana; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Ripley County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-421 | 5 |
| I-74 | 3 |
| CR-COUNTY Line Road | 1 |
| SR-350 | 1 |
| Us- 421 | 1 |
| Us- 50 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ripley County) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 44 |
| US-50 | 32 |
| US-421 | 20 |
| US-50W | 19 |
| US-421N | 12 |
| US-50E | 10 |
| US-421S | 9 |
| I-74W | 9 |
Napoleon at a glance
| Population | 238 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,008 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 47034) | $66,667 |
| Median home value (ZIP 47034) | $148,993 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ripley 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 | 10 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 19 | +88% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 26 | +34% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 25 | -3% | 1.4 |
In the 1990s about 10 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 25. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Napoleon
How many truck crashes happen in Napoleon?
Ripley County has had 320 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 114 people and killing 15.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Napoleon?
US-421 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Napoleon since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Napoleon?
Truck crashes in Ripley County peak in February, with 12.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Napoleon?
Garbage trucks were involved in 20 reported crashes in Ripley County since 2015 (6.2% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Napoleon compared with Indiana?
The yearly rate is 94.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ripley County, vs 80.8 for Indiana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Napoleon?
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.