Seward County, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Seward County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 313 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Seward County compares with Kansas
Seward County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Seward County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Seward County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 122.2 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 9.1 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 50% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.3% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.1% | 23.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.0% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 8% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.2% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 29.0% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Kansas, Seward County is lower on garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Kansas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Seward County at a glance: January the month with the most truck crashes: 15.0% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 313 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Seward County. They injured 106 people and killed 26.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 14 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (15.0% of the year) and are lowest in March (3.2%).
November through March accounts for 46.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.2% in Kansas.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 6.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 13.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Where crashes happen
US-54 leads in Seward County with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-83 (7), E 4 Rd (1) and N Main Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 3 crashes, 1.0% of the total, against 2.1% across Kansas.
Route planning tips for Seward County fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-54 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- With 13.3% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Kansas), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Seward County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Seward County) |
|---|---|
| US-54 | 8 |
| US-83 | 7 |
| E 4 Rd | 1 |
| N Main Rd | 1 |
| Road 11 | 1 |
| SR-51 | 1 |
| US-160 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Seward County) |
|---|---|
| Pancake | 18 |
| Kansas | 3 |
| 2Nd | 2 |
| 8Th | 2 |
| County Road V | 2 |
| Rd K | 2 |
| Road 4 | 2 |
| Road B | 2 |
Seward County at a glance
| Population | 21,276 |
| Land area | 639.7 sq mi |
| Density | 33 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $64,651 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Seward 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 | 14 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 20 | +41% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 23 | +16% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 26 | +16% | 1.4 |
In the 1990s about 14 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 26. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Seward County
ZIP codes in Seward County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Seward County
How many truck accidents are there in Seward County?
313 truck crashes have been reported in Seward County since 2015, with 26 deaths and 106 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Seward County?
US-54 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Seward County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Seward County?
Truck crashes in Seward County peak in January, with 15.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Seward County?
Since 2015, Seward County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Seward County compared with Kansas?
Seward County records 122.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.4 across Kansas.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Seward County?
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.