Bala, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bala: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bala and Riley County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Riley County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 153 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Riley County compares with Kansas
Riley County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Riley County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Riley County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 18.3 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 70% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.8% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.3% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.3% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.5% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 32.9% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 22% below the state |
| After dark | 16.4% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Riley County has lower values than Kansas for crashes per 100k residents / yr, winter months (nov–mar) and after dark. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Riley County: 1 in 21 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.8%, against 2.1% for Kansas.
Overview
Since 2015, 153 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Riley County. They injured 57 people and killed 7.
That averages about one truck crash every 28 days in fully reported years.
Bala had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Riley County numbers.
54% of truck crash reports in Riley County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 17.6% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 32.9% of truck crashes, against 42.2% across Kansas.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 11.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 12.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Bala since 2015 were spread across roads: US-77 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 8 of the truck crashes here, or 5.2%, compared with 2.1% in Kansas.
Route planning tips for Bala fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Riley County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.3% of truck crashes here, more than Kansas; adjust start times where you can.
- 12.3% 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 Riley County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-77 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Riley County) |
|---|---|
| I-070 | 30 |
| Tuttle Creek | 8 |
| Kimball | 6 |
| Fort Riley | 4 |
| Zeandale | 4 |
| I-70 | 3 |
| Barton | 3 |
| Anderson | 3 |
Bala at a glance
| Population | 690 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,608 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 66531) | $79,063 |
| Median home value (ZIP 66531) | $196,440 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Riley 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 14 | +12% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 17 | +22% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 13 | -24% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 12 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 13. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bala
How many truck accidents are there in Bala?
Since 2015, 153 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Riley County (57 injured, 7 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Bala?
August has the most truck crashes in Riley County, 17.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Bala?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Riley County since 2015, 5.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Bala compare with Kansas?
The yearly rate is 18.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Riley County, vs 61.4 for Kansas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bala?
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.