Benham, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Benham: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Benham and Harlan County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Harlan County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 101 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Harlan County compares with Kentucky
Harlan County against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Harlan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Harlan County | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.6 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 48% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 23% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.0% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.3% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.8% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 14.3% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
Harlan County has lower values than Kentucky for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Kentucky on deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Harlan County at a glance: 6.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.5 across Kentucky.
Overview
Harlan County has recorded 101 truck crashes since 2015, with 55 people injured and 6 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 41 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Benham since 2015, this page uses Harlan County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is May with 11.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 5.0%.
November through March accounts for 37.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in Kentucky.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (10.9%).
Road surface: 2.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kentucky: 5.0%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Benham since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-160 (1), SR-463 (1) and SR-600 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 2.0%, compared with 2.6% in Kentucky.
Route planning tips for Benham fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Harlan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-160 | 1 |
| SR-463 | 1 |
| SR-600 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Harlan County) |
|---|---|
| US-0421 | 40 |
| US-0119 | 28 |
| Ky0038 | 7 |
| Ky0221 | 6 |
| Ky0072 | 3 |
| Ky0179 | 2 |
| Ky0215 | 2 |
| Ky2006 | 2 |
Benham at a glance
| Population | 466 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,991 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 40807) | $49,118 |
| Median home value (ZIP 40807) | $55,533 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Harlan 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 | 3 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 23 | +574% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 11 | -51% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 10 | -12% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 10. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Benham
How common are truck crashes in Benham?
Harlan County has had 101 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 55 people and killing 6.
When do most truck crashes happen in Benham?
Truck crashes in Harlan County peak in May, with 11.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Benham?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Harlan County since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Benham compare with Kentucky for truck crashes?
Harlan County records 35.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.4 across Kentucky.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Benham?
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.