Dawson County, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dawson County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 501 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dawson County compares with Nebraska
Dawson County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dawson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dawson County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 168.1 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 2.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.60 | 0.57 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 76% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.0% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.7% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.4% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 24% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.5% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Dawson County has lower values than Nebraska for 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 after dark.
The headline for Dawson County: 1 in 227 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.4%, against 1.8% for Nebraska.
Overview
Since 2015, 501 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dawson County. They injured 298 people and killed 21.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 10.8% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.6%).
November through March accounts for 42.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
20.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 16.7% across Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads in Dawson County with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-30 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.4% share (Nebraska: 1.8%).
Route planning tips for Dawson County fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Dawson County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 20.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Nebraska; 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
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Dawson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Dawson County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 8 |
| US-30 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dawson County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 168 |
| US-283 | 8 |
| US-30 | 5 |
| 080 /237.020/I80 W Of Us283-S Of Lexington | 4 |
| 080 /252.320/I80 E Of Cr 446-Se Of Overton | 4 |
| 080 /254.980/I80 E Of Cr 450-Se Of Overton | 4 |
| Marker 233, I- 80 | 4 |
| Plum Creek Pkwy | 4 |
Dawson County at a glance
| Population | 24,554 |
| Land area | 1,013.8 sq mi |
| Density | 24 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $71,927 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dawson 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 | 40 | — | 1.7 |
| 2000s | 35 | -12% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 36 | +3% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 45 | +25% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 40 a year in the 1990s and 45 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Dawson County
ZIP codes in Dawson County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Dawson County
How common are truck crashes in Dawson County?
Dawson County has had 501 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 298 people and killing 21.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Dawson County?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Dawson County: 8.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Dawson County?
Truck crashes in Dawson County peak in July, with 10.8% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Dawson County?
Since 2015, Dawson County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.4% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Dawson County compare with Nebraska?
Per 100,000 residents, Dawson County has 168.1 truck crashes a year; Nebraska has 60.7.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Dawson County?
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.