Lake, MO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake and Vernon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Vernon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 293 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Vernon County compares with Missouri
Vernon County against Missouri and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Vernon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Vernon County | Missouri | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 135.9 | 85.9 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.1% | 7.2% | 6.2% | 43% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 17.1% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 25% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.9% | 10.7% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.5% | 40.7% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 31.2% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Compared with Missouri, Vernon County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Vernon County: 0 crashes involve a garbage truck (0 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Missouri.
Overview
Vernon County has recorded 293 truck crashes since 2015, with 130 people injured and 10 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 14 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Vernon County as a whole.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 10.2% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (5.5%).
November through March accounts for 37.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.7% in Missouri.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 9.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Missouri: 7.2%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Lake since 2015: US-54 (2) and CR-300 Rd (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Vernon County.
Route planning tips for Lake fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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.
Crash reporting for 2020 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Vernon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-54 | 2 |
| CR-300 Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Vernon County) |
|---|---|
| Is 49 | 135 |
| US-54 | 58 |
| Lp 49 | 7 |
| Rt T | 7 |
| Mo 43 | 6 |
| Rt Bb | 6 |
| Rt K | 6 |
| Rt B | 5 |
Lake at a glance
| Population | 201 |
| Land area | 35.5 sq mi |
| Density | 6 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 64778) | $59,737 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Vernon 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 | 17 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 18 | +5% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 19 | +7% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 26 | +33% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 17 to 26. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake
How common are truck crashes in Lake?
293 truck crashes have been reported in Vernon County since 2015, with 10 deaths and 130 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lake?
The worst month is May: 10.2% of truck crashes in Vernon County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lake?
Since 2015, Vernon County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lake compared with Missouri?
The yearly rate is 135.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Vernon County, vs 85.9 for Missouri.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lake?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.