Union, LA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Union: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Union and St. James Parish, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use St. James Parish numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 334 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How St. James Parish compares with Louisiana
St. James Parish against Louisiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where St. James Parish stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | St. James Parish | Louisiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 154.1 | 81.5 | 49.7 | 1.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.92 | 0.77 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 44% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 17% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.2% | 23.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.2% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 41% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.4% | 40.3% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 22.2% | 23.9% | 24.8% | 7% below the state |
St. James Parish sits below Louisiana on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Union at a glance: SR-70 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Union: 4 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 334 crashes involving commercial trucks in St. James Parish since 2015: 300 people were injured and 11 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 12 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Union since 2015, this page uses St. James Parish numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (11.7% of the year) and are lowest in May (4.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.4% of truck crashes, against 40.3% across Louisiana.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.7% of truck crashes.
0.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Louisiana.
Where crashes happen
SR-70 leads within 10 miles of Union with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-3089 (3), US-61 (2) and I-10 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 1.2% of the total, against 2.2% across Louisiana.
Route planning tips for Union fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in St. James Parish.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-70; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in St. James Parish
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-70 | 4 |
| SR-3089 | 3 |
| US-61 | 2 |
| I-10 | 1 |
| SR-1 | 1 |
| SR-18 | 1 |
| SR-75 | 1 |
| SR-942 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (St. James Parish) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 62 |
| La-70 | 56 |
| US-61 | 43 |
| La-3125 | 34 |
| La-20 | 30 |
| La-3127 | 28 |
| La-44 | 28 |
| La-18 | 15 |
Union at a glance
| Land area | 9.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 70723) | $47,444 |
| Median home value (ZIP 70723) | $66,981 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in St. James 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 | 14 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 19 | +34% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 26 | +41% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 29 | +11% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 29 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Union
How common are truck crashes in Union?
St. James Parish has had 334 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 300 people and killing 11.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Union?
Since 2015, SR-70 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Union: 4.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Union?
The worst month is October: 11.7% of truck crashes in St. James Parish happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Union?
4 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in St. James Parish since 2015, 1.2% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Union compared with Louisiana?
St. James Parish records 154.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 81.5 across Louisiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Union?
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.