Hepler, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hepler: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hepler and Crawford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Crawford County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 267 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Crawford County compares with Kansas
Crawford County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Crawford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Crawford County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.4 | 61.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 27% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.3% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.5% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 41% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.0% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.0% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.8% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 15% below the state |
| After dark | 23.6% | 23.2% | 24.8% | same |
Crawford County has lower values than Kansas for deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Crawford County at a glance: 1 in 23 crashes involve a garbage truck (13 since 2015), vs 2.1% across Kansas.
Overview
Police reported 267 crashes involving commercial trucks in Crawford County since 2015: 103 people were injured and 9 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
Hepler had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Crawford County numbers.
69% of truck crash reports in Crawford County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in April (12.7% of the year) and are lowest in December (3.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 35.8% of truck crashes, vs 42.2% for Kansas.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 10.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 5.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Hepler since 2015: SR-69 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
13 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Kansas: 2.1%).
Route planning tips for Hepler fleets
- Review driver schedules for April, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 28.0% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Kansas; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Crawford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-69 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Crawford County) |
|---|---|
| Atkinson | 6 |
| 240Th | 3 |
| 20Th | 3 |
| 160Th | 3 |
| 700Th | 2 |
| Centennial | 2 |
| Free King | 2 |
| Rouse | 2 |
Hepler at a glance
| Population | 92 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 92 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 66746) | $54,375 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Crawford 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 | 12 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 13 | +6% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 18 | +42% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 25 | +36% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 25. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hepler
How many truck crashes happen in Hepler?
267 truck crashes have been reported in Crawford County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 103 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Hepler?
The worst month is April: 12.7% of truck crashes in Crawford County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Hepler?
Since 2015, Crawford County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How does Hepler compare with Kansas for truck crashes?
Crawford County records 59.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.4 across Kansas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Hepler?
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.