Mercer County, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mercer County: 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
7 of 97 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mercer County compares with Kentucky
Mercer County against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mercer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mercer County | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.2 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 49% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.6% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.1% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 78% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.8% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 3.3% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 81% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.2% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 14% below the state |
| After dark | 18.7% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Compared with Kentucky, Mercer County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Mercer County at a glance: 1 in 15 garbage-truck share of crashes is 6.6%, against 2.6% for Kentucky.
Overview
Since 2015, 97 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Mercer County. They injured 53 people and killed 7.
That averages about one truck crash every 44 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (15.5% of the year) and are lowest in November (2.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 35.2% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for Kentucky.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (12.4%).
Road surface: 1.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kentucky: 5.0%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Mercer County is US-127, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-152 (1) and US-68 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 7 crashes, 7.2% of the total, against 2.6% across Kentucky.
Route planning tips for Mercer County fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Mercer County.
- Check whether your routes use US-127, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 30.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Kentucky; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Mercer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Mercer County) |
|---|---|
| US-127 | 3 |
| SR-152 | 1 |
| US-68 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mercer County) |
|---|---|
| US-0127 | 49 |
| US-0127B | 15 |
| US-0068 | 11 |
| Ky0152 | 6 |
| Bg9002 | 5 |
| Ky1988 | 3 |
| Ky0033 | 3 |
| Beaumont Ave | 1 |
Mercer County at a glance
| Population | 23,515 |
| Land area | 249.4 sq mi |
| Density | 94 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $64,740 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mercer 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 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 8 | -9% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 8 | +12% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 8 | -7% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 8. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Mercer County
ZIP codes in Mercer County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Mercer County
How common are truck crashes in Mercer County?
97 truck crashes have been reported in Mercer County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 53 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Mercer County?
NHTSA data shows US-127 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes in Mercer County since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Mercer County?
Truck crashes in Mercer County peak in March, with 15.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Mercer County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 7 reported crashes in Mercer County since 2015 (7.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Mercer County compare with Kentucky?
Mercer County records 35.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.4 across Kentucky.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Mercer County?
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.