Howells, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Howells: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Howells and Colfax County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Colfax County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 131 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Colfax County compares with Nebraska
Colfax County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Colfax County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Colfax County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 105.0 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.59 | 0.57 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 56% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.8% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 17.6% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 21% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.2% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 30.4% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Colfax County sits below Nebraska on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
Colfax County at a glance: 1 in 125 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.8%, against 1.8% for Nebraska.
Overview
Since 2015, 131 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Colfax County. They injured 79 people and killed 5.
That averages about one truck crash every 32 days in fully reported years.
Howells had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Colfax County numbers.
78% of truck crash reports in Colfax County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (13.0% of the year) and are lowest in October (4.6%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 45.6% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 20.8% of truck crashes, compared with 16.7% in Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Howells happened on SR-15 (2), CR-ROAD X (1) and SR-91 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.8%, compared with 1.8% in Nebraska.
Route planning tips for Howells fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 20.8% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Nebraska), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Colfax County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-15 | 2 |
| CR-ROAD X | 1 |
| SR-91 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Colfax County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 12 |
| SR-30 | 5 |
| SR-15 | 5 |
| 030 /400.700/Us30 E Of Cr 15-W Of Rogers | 3 |
| Ne-15 | 3 |
| 015 /126.560/N15 & N91-Sw Of Howells | 2 |
| 030 /385.430/Us30 E Of Cr 1-W Of Richland | 2 |
| 030 /385.500/Us30 E Of Cr 1-W Of Richland | 2 |
Howells at a glance
| Population | 571 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 991 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 68641) | $80,625 |
| Median home value (ZIP 68641) | $121,356 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Colfax 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 | 10 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 8 | -23% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 12 | +53% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 9 | -24% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 10 a year in the 1990s and 9 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Howells
How common are truck crashes in Howells?
131 truck crashes have been reported in Colfax County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 79 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Howells?
The worst month is December: 13.0% of truck crashes in Colfax County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Howells?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Colfax County since 2015, 0.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Howells compared with Nebraska?
Colfax County records 105.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.7 across Nebraska.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Howells?
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.