Kearney, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kearney: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kearney and Buffalo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Buffalo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 622 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Buffalo County compares with Nebraska
Buffalo County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Buffalo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Buffalo County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 104.3 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 16% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 15% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.1% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.1% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 26.8% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.2% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 30.1% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Buffalo County sits below Nebraska on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Buffalo County: 27.1% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Nebraska: 16.7%).
Overview
Buffalo County has recorded 622 truck crashes since 2015, with 293 people injured and 30 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Only 116 truck crashes were reported in Kearney since 2015; patterns below come from Buffalo County as a whole.
68% of truck crash reports in Buffalo County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 12.9% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (5.6%).
November through March accounts for 49.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 6.6% of truck crashes.
27.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 16.7% across Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 10 miles of Kearney with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by CR-E Coal Chute Rd (1), SR-44 (1) and US-30 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
9 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Nebraska: 1.8%).
Route planning tips for Kearney fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Buffalo County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 27.1% of truck crashes here, more than Nebraska; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Buffalo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 2 |
| CR-E Coal Chute Rd | 1 |
| SR-44 | 1 |
| US-30 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Buffalo County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 173 |
| US-30 | 8 |
| US-183 | 7 |
| Ne-2 | 6 |
| 080 /255.840/I80 W Of Wb Ramp From Us183-Sw Of | 6 |
| 2Nd Ave | 5 |
| 080 /272.650/I80 Under 2Nd Ave(N44) | 4 |
| 080 /283.500/I80 E Of N10-Sw Of Gibbon | 4 |
Kearney at a glance
| Population | 34,741 |
| Land area | 15.0 sq mi |
| Density | 2,310 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Buffalo 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 | 42 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 37 | -12% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 43 | +16% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 60 | +39% | 1.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 42 to 60. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Kearney
How many truck crashes happen in Kearney?
Buffalo County has had 622 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 293 people and killing 30.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Kearney?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Kearney: 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Kearney?
The worst month is December: 12.9% of truck crashes in Buffalo County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Kearney?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Buffalo County since 2015 (1.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Kearney compared with Nebraska?
Per 100,000 residents, Buffalo County has 104.3 truck crashes a year; Nebraska has 60.7.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Kearney?
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.