Zachary, LA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Zachary: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Zachary and East Baton Rouge Parish, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use East Baton Rouge Parish numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How East Baton Rouge Parish compares with Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish against Louisiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where East Baton Rouge Parish stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | East Baton Rouge Parish | Louisiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.6 | 81.5 | 49.7 | 17% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.74 | 0.77 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 10% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.4% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 48% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 23.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.8% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.7% | 40.3% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.1% | 23.9% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
East Baton Rouge Parish has lower values than Louisiana for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in East Baton Rouge Parish: September is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 17% of them.
Overview
Police reported 3,595 crashes involving commercial trucks in East Baton Rouge Parish since 2015: 2,590 people were injured and 78 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Zachary had 26 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use East Baton Rouge Parish numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 41.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.3% in Louisiana.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 7.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.4% of truck crashes, compared with 0.8% in Louisiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Zachary is US-61, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-67 (3), Mu-Joor Road (1) and SR-19 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 71 of the truck crashes here, or 2.0%, compared with 2.2% in Louisiana.
Their busiest month is September, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.0, vs 2.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Zachary fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in East Baton Rouge Parish.
- Look at alternatives to US-61 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: September is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in East Baton Rouge Parish.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 East Baton Rouge Parish
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-61 | 7 |
| SR-67 | 3 |
| Mu-Joor Road | 1 |
| SR-19 | 1 |
| SR-408 | 1 |
| SR-64 | 1 |
| SR-68 | 1 |
| SR-955 | 1 |
| SR-958 | 1 |
| SR-964 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (East Baton Rouge Parish) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 774 |
| US-61 | 346 |
| I-12 | 308 |
| I-0 | 266 |
| I-110 | 180 |
| La-37 | 120 |
| US-190 | 106 |
| La-67 | 82 |
Zachary at a glance
| Population | 20,370 |
| Land area | 26.9 sq mi |
| Density | 758 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 70791) | $78,263 |
| Median home value (ZIP 70791) | $264,640 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in East Baton Rouge Parish 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 | 39 | — | 4.3 |
| 2000s | 191 | +388% | 5.0 |
| 2010s | 285 | +50% | 5.4 |
| 2020s | 308 | +8% | 6.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 39 a year in the 1990s and 308 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 6.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Zachary
How common are truck crashes in Zachary?
East Baton Rouge Parish has had 3,595 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,590 people and killing 78.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Zachary?
Since 2015, US-61 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Zachary: 7.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Zachary?
The worst month is September: 9.5% of truck crashes in East Baton Rouge Parish happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Zachary?
71 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in East Baton Rouge Parish since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Zachary compare with Louisiana?
East Baton Rouge Parish records 67.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 81.5 across Louisiana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Zachary?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.