Van Lear, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Van Lear: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Van Lear and Johnson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Johnson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 72 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Johnson County compares with Kentucky
Johnson County against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Johnson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Johnson County | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.6 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 60% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.0% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.0% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.4% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.9% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.8% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 19.4% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 20% below the state |
Johnson County has lower values than Kentucky for crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Johnson County: 1 in 17 garbage-truck share of crashes is 6.0%, against 2.6% for Kentucky.
Overview
Johnson County has recorded 72 truck crashes since 2015, with 32 people injured and 5 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 60 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Van Lear since 2015; patterns below come from Johnson County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 15.3% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (2.8%).
November through March accounts for 47.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in Kentucky.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (12.5%).
Road surface: 9.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kentucky: 5.0%).
Where crashes happen
US-23 leads within 10 miles of Van Lear with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-0003 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.6% share (Kentucky: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Van Lear fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-23; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 28.4% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Kentucky; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 9.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Kentucky; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Johnson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-23 | 6 |
| SR-0003 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Johnson County) |
|---|---|
| US-0023 | 27 |
| US-0460 | 5 |
| Ky0321 | 5 |
| Ky0040 | 5 |
| Ky0201 | 4 |
| Ky1107 | 4 |
| Ky1559 | 3 |
| Ky3387 | 2 |
Van Lear at a glance
| Land area | 4.1 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 41234) | $70,288 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Johnson 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 | 9 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 9 | -3% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 8 | -16% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 6 | -24% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 9 a year in the 1990s and 6 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Van Lear
How many truck accidents are there in Van Lear?
72 truck crashes have been reported in Johnson County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 32 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Van Lear?
Since 2015, US-23 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Van Lear: 6.
When do most truck crashes happen in Van Lear?
Truck crashes in Johnson County peak in January, with 15.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Van Lear?
Since 2015, Johnson County has reported 4 garbage-truck crashes, or 5.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Van Lear compared with Kentucky?
The yearly rate is 27.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Johnson County, vs 68.4 for Kentucky.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Van Lear?
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.