Nelson, MO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Nelson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Nelson and Saline County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Saline County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 717 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Saline County compares with Missouri
Saline County against Missouri and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Saline County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Saline County | Missouri | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 265.0 | 85.9 | 49.7 | 3.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 63% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.30 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 32% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 46% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.0% | 7.2% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.3% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.3% | 10.7% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.6% | 40.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 35.9% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Saline County has lower values than Missouri for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar).
The headline for Saline County: 15.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 7.2% in Missouri.
Overview
Since 2015, 717 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Saline County. They injured 222 people and killed 8.
That averages about one truck crash every 6 days in fully reported years.
Nelson had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Saline County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 10.7% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (5.7%).
November through March accounts for 44.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.7% in Missouri.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (8.4%).
Road surface: 15.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Missouri: 7.2%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Nelson happened on I-70 (4); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 9 of the truck crashes here, or 1.3%, compared with 2.2% in Missouri.
Route planning tips for Nelson fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Saline County.
- 15.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Missouri; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Saline County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 4 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Saline County) |
|---|---|
| Is 70 | 532 |
| US-65 | 70 |
| Mo 240 | 14 |
| Mo 41 | 10 |
| Rt C | 7 |
| Mo 127 | 6 |
| Rt D | 5 |
| Rt Ee | 5 |
Nelson at a glance
| Population | 154 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 464 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 65347) | $103,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 65347) | $156,780 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Saline 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 | 44 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 30 | -32% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 46 | +53% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 60 | +30% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 44 to 60. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Nelson
How many truck crashes happen in Nelson?
Since 2015, 717 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Saline County (222 injured, 8 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Nelson?
The worst month is December: 10.7% of truck crashes in Saline County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Nelson?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Saline County since 2015 (1.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Nelson compare with Missouri?
Saline County records 265.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 85.9 across Missouri.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Nelson?
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.