Paducah, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Paducah: 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
12 of 656 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Paducah compares with Kentucky
Paducah against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Paducah stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Paducah | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 209.0 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 3.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.57 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 32% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.3% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 35% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.3% | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.5% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.5% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 20% below the state |
Compared with Kentucky, Paducah is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Paducah: I-24 10 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Paducah.
Overview
Police reported 656 crashes involving commercial trucks in Paducah since 2015: 377 people were injured and 31 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.6% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for Kentucky.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 10.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 3.3% of truck crashes, compared with 5.0% in Kentucky.
Where crashes happen
I-24 leads within 10 miles of Paducah with 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-60 (4), US-45 (3) and S 28th St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
12 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (Kentucky: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Paducah fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Paducah.
- Check whether your routes use I-24, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Paducah
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 10 |
| US-60 | 4 |
| US-45 | 3 |
| S 28th St | 1 |
| SR-1288 | 1 |
| SR-286 | 1 |
| SR-305 | 1 |
| SR-994 | 1 |
| SR-999 | 1 |
| US-45X | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Paducah) |
|---|---|
| I-0024 | 281 |
| US-0062 | 63 |
| US-0060 | 62 |
| US-0045 | 43 |
| Ky0305 | 14 |
| US-0045X | 11 |
| Ky0998 | 9 |
| US-0068 | 7 |
Paducah at a glance
| Population | 26,712 |
| Land area | 20.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,313 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Paducah 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 | 33 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 31 | -6% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 47 | +55% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 57 | +21% | 2.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 33 to 57. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Paducah
How common are truck crashes in Paducah?
656 truck crashes have been reported in Paducah since 2015, with 31 deaths and 377 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Paducah?
Since 2015, I-24 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Paducah: 10.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Paducah?
The worst month is March: 9.6% of truck crashes in Paducah happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Paducah?
12 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Paducah since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
How does Paducah compare with Kentucky for truck crashes?
Paducah records 209.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.4 across Kentucky.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Paducah?
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.