Polo, MO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Polo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Polo and Caldwell County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Caldwell County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 173 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Caldwell County compares with Missouri
Caldwell County against Missouri and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Caldwell County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Caldwell County | Missouri | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 158.6 | 85.9 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 25% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 71% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.9% | 7.2% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.8% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.6% | 10.7% | 13.8% | 11% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.2% | 40.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 32.5% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Caldwell County sits below Missouri on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Missouri on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Caldwell County: 15.9% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 7.2% across Missouri.
Overview
Caldwell County has recorded 173 truck crashes since 2015, with 58 people injured and 9 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 26 days.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Polo since 2015; patterns below come from Caldwell County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 11.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 3.5%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 45.2% of truck crashes, vs 40.7% for Missouri.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (11.0%).
15.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 7.2% across Missouri.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Polo since 2015: SR-116 (1) and Sr-Hh (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.6%, compared with 2.2% in Missouri.
Route planning tips for Polo fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 24.8% of truck crashes here, more than Missouri; adjust start times where you can.
- With 15.9% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Missouri), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Caldwell County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-116 | 1 |
| Sr-Hh | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Caldwell County) |
|---|---|
| US-36 | 124 |
| Mo 13 | 11 |
| Mo 116 | 9 |
| Rt A | 7 |
| Crd Barwick Dr | 2 |
| Crd Crow Rd | 1 |
| Crd Des Moines Rd | 1 |
| Crd Far West Dr | 1 |
Polo at a glance
| Population | 508 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 825 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 64671) | $75,455 |
| Median home value (ZIP 64671) | $154,942 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Caldwell 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 | 7 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 5 | -24% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 10 | +100% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 14 | +34% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 7 to 14. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Polo
How common are truck crashes in Polo?
Since 2015, 173 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Caldwell County (58 injured, 9 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Polo?
Truck crashes in Caldwell County peak in February, with 11.6% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Polo?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Caldwell County since 2015, 0.6% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Polo compared with Missouri?
Caldwell County records 158.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 85.9 across Missouri.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Polo?
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.