Chadron, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chadron: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chadron and Dawes County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dawes County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 42 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dawes County compares with Nebraska
Dawes County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dawes County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dawes County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 44.3 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 27% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 46% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.21 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 63% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 38.5% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 2.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.6% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.1% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 69.2% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.6× the state |
| After dark | 30.8% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Dawes County has lower values than Nebraska for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher on snow, slush or ice, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Dawes County: 38.5% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Nebraska: 16.7%).
Overview
Since 2015, 42 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dawes County. They injured 8 people and killed 1.
That averages about one truck crash every 103 days in fully reported years.
Only 9 truck crashes were reported in Chadron since 2015; patterns below come from Dawes County as a whole.
71% of truck crash reports in Dawes County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is November with 19.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 2.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 69.2% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.9% of truck crashes.
38.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 16.7% across Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Chadron since 2015 were spread across roads: US-385 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Dawes County.
Route planning tips for Chadron fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.6% of truck crashes here, more than Nebraska; adjust start times where you can.
- 38.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Nebraska; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Dawes County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-385 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dawes County) |
|---|---|
| US-385 | 7 |
| 020 /58.600/Us20 & Ash St(Us385) | 3 |
| SR-385 | 3 |
| 385 /155.300/Us385 At Table Rd-S Of Chadron | 2 |
| SR-20 | 2 |
| US-20 | 2 |
| 020 /37.810/Us20 & Bethel Rd-Ne Of Crawford | 1 |
| 020 /47.050/Us20 E Of Norman Rd-Se Of Whitney | 1 |
Chadron at a glance
| Population | 5,094 |
| Land area | 3.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,305 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 69337) | $54,306 |
| Median home value (ZIP 69337) | $168,590 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dawes 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 | 3 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 4 | +14% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 5 | +38% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 3 | -48% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 3 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chadron
How many truck accidents are there in Chadron?
Dawes County has had 42 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 8 people and killing 1.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Chadron?
The worst month is November: 19.0% of truck crashes in Dawes County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Chadron?
Since 2015, Dawes County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Chadron compared with Nebraska?
Dawes County records 44.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.7 across Nebraska.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Chadron?
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.