Independent, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Independent: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Independent and Barton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Barton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 192 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Barton County compares with Kansas
Barton County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Barton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Barton County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.7 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.8% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.1% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 13% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.1% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.5% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 57% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.1% | 42.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.8% | 23.2% | 24.8% | same |
Barton County has lower values than Kansas for on snow, slush or ice, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Barton County: 1 in 26 crashes involve a garbage truck (7 since 2015), vs 2.1% across Kansas.
Overview
Police reported 192 crashes involving commercial trucks in Barton County since 2015: 66 people were injured and 9 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 22 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Independent since 2015, this page uses Barton County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
66% of truck crash reports in Barton County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 41.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.2% in Kansas.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (8.3%).
8.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.3% across Kansas.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Independent happened on Ne 130th Ave (1), SR-15 (1) and SR-156 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 3.6%, compared with 2.1% in Kansas.
Route planning tips for Independent fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Barton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Ne 130th Ave | 1 |
| SR-15 | 1 |
| SR-156 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Barton County) |
|---|---|
| Washington | 6 |
| Railroad | 5 |
| Main | 3 |
| 10Th | 3 |
| Canterbury | 2 |
| Susank | 2 |
| 12Th | 1 |
| 190Th | 1 |
Independent at a glance
| Population | 647 |
| Land area | 35.8 sq mi |
| Density | 18 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 67525) | $72,031 |
| Median home value (ZIP 67525) | $114,621 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Barton 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 | 13 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 13 | -2% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 15 | +19% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 19 | +26% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 13 a year in the 1990s and 19 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Independent
How common are truck crashes in Independent?
192 truck crashes have been reported in Barton County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 66 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Independent?
The worst month is October: 10.9% of truck crashes in Barton County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Independent?
Since 2015, Barton County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.6% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Independent compare with Kansas?
The yearly rate is 67.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Barton County, vs 61.4 for Kansas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Independent?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.