Wickliffe, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wickliffe: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wickliffe and Ballard County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ballard County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 189 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ballard County compares with Kentucky
Ballard County against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ballard County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ballard County | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 207.4 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 3.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.6% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 78% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.9% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 43% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 15.5% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 32% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 35.6% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Compared with Kentucky, Ballard County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Ballard County: 1 in 175 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.6%, against 2.6% for Kentucky.
Overview
Ballard County has recorded 189 truck crashes since 2015, with 90 people injured and 8 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 23 days.
Only 119 truck crashes were reported in Wickliffe since 2015; patterns below come from Ballard County as a whole.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 12.7% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (4.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.6% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across Kentucky.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kentucky: 5.0%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-51 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). After it: I-57 (2), SR-121 (2) and SR-286 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 1 crash, 0.5% of the total, against 2.6% across Kentucky.
Route planning tips for Wickliffe fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-51 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Ballard County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-51 | 4 |
| I-57 | 2 |
| SR-121 | 2 |
| SR-286 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ballard County) |
|---|---|
| Ky0286 | 63 |
| US-0060 | 38 |
| US-0051 | 32 |
| Ky0121 | 16 |
| Ky0473 | 4 |
| Ky1837 | 4 |
| Ky0358 | 3 |
| Court St | 2 |
Wickliffe at a glance
| Population | 652 |
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Density | 420 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 42087) | $58,802 |
| Median home value (ZIP 42087) | $159,677 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ballard 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 | 8 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 12 | +50% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 15 | +19% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 17 | +14% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 17. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wickliffe
How many truck crashes happen in Wickliffe?
Since 2015, 189 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Ballard County (90 injured, 8 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Wickliffe?
US-51 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Wickliffe since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Wickliffe?
The worst month is October: 12.7% of truck crashes in Ballard County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Wickliffe?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Ballard County since 2015 (0.5% of truck crashes).
How does Wickliffe compare with Kentucky for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 207.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ballard County, vs 68.4 for Kentucky.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Wickliffe?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.