Lexington, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lexington: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lexington and Dawson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dawson County numbers.
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 sits below Nebraska on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
The headline for Dawson County: 1 in 227 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.4%, vs 1.8% in Nebraska.
Overview
Since 2015, 501 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dawson County. They injured 298 people and killed 21.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
Lexington had 44 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Dawson County numbers.
73% of truck crash reports in Dawson County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.8% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.5% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Nebraska.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.9%).
20.0% 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 Lexington with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-30 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 0.4%, compared with 1.8% in Nebraska.
Route planning tips for Lexington fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 20.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Nebraska; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Dawson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 3 |
| US-30 | 2 |
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 |
Lexington at a glance
| Population | 11,205 |
| Land area | 5.1 sq mi |
| Density | 2,207 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 68850) | $69,238 |
| Median home value (ZIP 68850) | $161,688 |
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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lexington
How many truck crashes happen in Lexington?
Since 2015, 501 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dawson County (298 injured, 21 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Lexington?
I-80 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Lexington since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lexington?
Truck crashes in Dawson County peak in July, with 10.8% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Lexington?
Since 2015, Dawson County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lexington compared with Nebraska?
The yearly rate is 168.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dawson County, vs 60.7 for Nebraska.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lexington?
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.