Ralston, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ralston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ralston and Douglas County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Douglas County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Douglas County compares with Nebraska
Douglas County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Douglas County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Douglas County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.5 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 48% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 44% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 7% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.7% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 54% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 30.3% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.9% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 14% below the state |
| After dark | 20.2% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Douglas County sits below Nebraska on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Nebraska on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Douglas County: 1 in 33 crashes involve a garbage truck (62 since 2015), vs 1.8% across Nebraska.
Overview
Douglas County has recorded 2,033 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,047 people injured and 55 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Ralston had 13 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Douglas County numbers.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 10.4% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.9% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Nebraska.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.7%).
7.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 16.7% across Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Ralston is I-80, with 8 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by US-6 (3), US-75 (3) and SR-370 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 62 crashes, 3.0% of the total, against 1.8% across Nebraska.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (15%).
They recorded 3.4 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Ralston fleets
- Plan July schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Douglas County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 26.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Nebraska; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2025; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Douglas County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 8 |
| US-6 | 3 |
| US-75 | 3 |
| SR-370 | 2 |
| SR-64 | 2 |
| US-275 | 2 |
| 120th St | 1 |
| Abbott Dr | 1 |
| CR-PLATTEVIEW Rd | 1 |
| CR-S 144Th St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Douglas County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 249 |
| I-680 | 32 |
| US-275 | 15 |
| I-480 | 12 |
| L Street | 11 |
| US-75 | 10 |
| 064 /78.700/Cuming St(N64) & Nb Ramp From N Expy | 7 |
| 72Nd Street | 7 |
Ralston at a glance
| Population | 6,443 |
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Density | 3,943 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 68127) | $66,384 |
| Median home value (ZIP 68127) | $248,648 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Douglas 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 | 201 | — | 3.8 |
| 2000s | 187 | -7% | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 185 | -1% | 3.4 |
| 2020s | 171 | -8% | 4.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 201 to 171. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.8 a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ralston
How many truck accidents are there in Ralston?
2,033 truck crashes have been reported in Douglas County since 2015, with 55 deaths and 1,047 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Ralston?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ralston: 8.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Ralston?
Truck crashes in Douglas County peak in July, with 10.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ralston?
Since 2015, Douglas County has reported 62 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Ralston compare with Nebraska?
Per 100,000 residents, Douglas County has 31.5 truck crashes a year; Nebraska has 60.7.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ralston?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.