Downs Township, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Downs Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Downs Township and Sumner County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sumner County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 424 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sumner County compares with Kansas
Sumner County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sumner County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sumner County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 161.6 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 2.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 21% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.1% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 17.4% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 25% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 15.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.8% | 42.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.2% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Sumner County has lower values than Kansas for deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Kansas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
Sumner County at a glance: 31.2% share of truck crashes after dark (Kansas: 23.2%).
Overview
Police reported 424 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sumner County since 2015: 126 people were injured and 15 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 10 days.
Downs Township had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sumner County numbers.
79% of truck crash reports in Sumner County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (11.1% of the year) and are lowest in December (4.5%).
November through March accounts for 40.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.2% in Kansas.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 8.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 10.1% of truck crashes, compared with 9.3% in Kansas.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Downs happened on US-160 (3) and SR-49 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
9 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.1% share (Kansas: 2.1%).
Route planning tips for Downs Township fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 10.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Kansas; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Sumner County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-160 | 3 |
| SR-49 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sumner County) |
|---|---|
| I-035 | 257 |
| Argonia | 2 |
| Main | 2 |
| Mayfield | 2 |
| Oliver | 2 |
| Seneca | 2 |
| 100Th | 1 |
| 10Th | 1 |
Downs Township at a glance
| Population | 141 |
| Land area | 35.1 sq mi |
| Density | 4 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 67103) | $53,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 67103) | $126,281 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sumner 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 | 15 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 27 | +77% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 31 | +15% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 38 | +21% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 15 to 38. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Downs Township
How many truck accidents are there in Downs Township?
Since 2015, 424 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sumner County (126 injured, 15 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Downs Township?
The worst month is February: 11.1% of truck crashes in Sumner County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Downs Township?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Sumner County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Downs Township compare with Kansas?
Per 100,000 residents, Sumner County has 161.6 truck crashes a year; Kansas has 61.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Downs Township?
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.