Notre Dame, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Notre Dame: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Notre Dame and St. Joseph County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use St. Joseph County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How St. Joseph County compares with Indiana
St. Joseph County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where St. Joseph County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | St. Joseph County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 52.4 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 22.3% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.6% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.1% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.8% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 30.5% | 32.0% | 24.8% | same |
St. Joseph County has lower values than Indiana for crashes per 100k residents / yr. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in St. Joseph County: 22.3% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Overview
St. Joseph County has recorded 1,696 truck crashes since 2015, with 658 people injured and 44 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Only 3 truck crashes were reported in Notre Dame since 2015; patterns below come from St. Joseph County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 15.3% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (6.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 48.8% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Indiana.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 22.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Indiana: 10.6%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-80 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (8). After it: SR-2 (4), SR-51 (2) and US-12 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
44 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.6% share (Indiana: 2.4%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in June (11% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Notre Dame fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in St. Joseph County.
- 25.6% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Indiana; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 22.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Indiana; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in St. Joseph County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 8 |
| SR-2 | 4 |
| SR-51 | 2 |
| US-12 | 2 |
| US-20 | 2 |
| US-20W | 2 |
| CR-REDFIELD St | 1 |
| Day Rd | 1 |
| Mayflower | 1 |
| Mu-Auten Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (St. Joseph County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 318 |
| US-20 | 122 |
| SR-2 | 75 |
| US-31 | 41 |
| SR-23 | 37 |
| SR-331 | 31 |
| St Joseph Valley Pkwy | 29 |
| SR-933 | 26 |
Notre Dame at a glance
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in St. Joseph 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 | 58 | — | 3.1 |
| 2000s | 124 | +114% | 2.6 |
| 2010s | 139 | +12% | 3.1 |
| 2020s | 127 | -8% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 58 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 127. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 4.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Notre Dame
How common are truck crashes in Notre Dame?
Since 2015, 1,696 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in St. Joseph County (658 injured, 44 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Notre Dame?
I-80 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Notre Dame since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Notre Dame?
The worst month is January: 15.3% of truck crashes in St. Joseph County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Notre Dame?
44 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in St. Joseph County since 2015, 2.6% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Notre Dame compared with Indiana?
St. Joseph County records 52.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Indiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Notre Dame?
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.