Hays, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hays: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hays and Ellis County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ellis County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 215 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ellis County compares with Kansas
Ellis County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ellis County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ellis County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 65.2 | 61.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 29% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.25 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 22% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.4% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.7% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 14% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.3% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.3% | 42.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.9% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Ellis County sits below Kansas on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in Ellis County: 14.4% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Overview
Police reported 215 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ellis County since 2015: 53 people were injured and 7 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 19 days.
Hays had 23 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Ellis County numbers.
79% of truck crash reports in Ellis County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.6% of the year) and are lowest in December (5.6%).
November through March accounts for 41.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.2% in Kansas.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Where crashes happen
US-183 leads within 10 miles of Hays with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-70 (2), 160th Ave (1) and 210th Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 1.9% of the total, against 2.1% across Kansas.
Route planning tips for Hays fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-183 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 14.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Kansas; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Ellis County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-183 | 3 |
| I-70 | 2 |
| 160th Ave | 1 |
| 210th Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ellis County) |
|---|---|
| I-070 | 127 |
| Old U040 | 7 |
| 230Th | 6 |
| 130Th | 4 |
| 27Th | 4 |
| Ellis | 4 |
| U183 Bypass | 4 |
| Toulon | 3 |
Hays at a glance
| Population | 21,213 |
| Land area | 8.7 sq mi |
| Density | 2,427 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 67601) | $61,417 |
| Median home value (ZIP 67601) | $226,599 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ellis 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 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 18 | +36% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 19 | +5% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 20 | +9% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 13 to 20. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hays
How many truck accidents are there in Hays?
Ellis County has had 215 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 53 people and killing 7.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Hays?
Since 2015, US-183 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hays: 3.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Hays?
January has the most truck crashes in Ellis County, 11.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Hays?
Garbage trucks were involved in 4 reported crashes in Ellis County since 2015 (1.9% of truck crashes).
How does Hays compare with Kansas for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 65.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ellis County, vs 61.4 for Kansas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Hays?
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.