Lincoln, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lincoln: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lincoln and Lancaster County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lancaster County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lancaster County compares with Nebraska
Lancaster County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lancaster County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lancaster County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.6 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 41% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 50% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.59 | 0.57 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.0% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 2.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.0% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 17% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.3% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.9% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Lancaster County sits below Nebraska on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Nebraska on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Lancaster County: 1 in 20 garbage-truck share of crashes is 5.0%, against 1.8% for Nebraska.
Overview
Lancaster County has recorded 1,360 truck crashes since 2015, with 801 people injured and 34 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
Only 848 truck crashes were reported in Lincoln since 2015; patterns below come from Lancaster County as a whole.
30% of truck crash reports in Lancaster County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (10.2% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.0%).
November through March accounts for 42.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.0% of truck crashes, compared with 16.7% in Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 15 miles of Lincoln with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-34 (3), SR-2 (2) and SR-43 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
67 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Nebraska: 1.8%).
Their busiest month is February, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.5, vs 2.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Lincoln fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in February; review collection routes for that month.
- 25.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Nebraska; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Lancaster County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 5 |
| US-34 | 3 |
| SR-2 | 2 |
| SR-43 | 2 |
| Abigail Dr | 1 |
| CR-ADAMS St | 1 |
| CR-SOUTH 148Th Street | 1 |
| CR-SW 14Th St | 1 |
| CR-W Mill Rd | 1 |
| CR-WAVERLY Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lancaster County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 145 |
| US-77 | 28 |
| US-6 | 28 |
| SR-2 | 12 |
| Cornhusker Hwy | 9 |
| US-34 | 9 |
| SR-77 | 6 |
| SR-6 | 6 |
Lincoln at a glance
| Population | 300,619 |
| Land area | 101.1 sq mi |
| Density | 2,973 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 68503) | $54,232 |
| Median home value (ZIP 68503) | $169,503 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lancaster 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 | 126 | — | 1.9 |
| 2000s | 107 | -15% | 2.7 |
| 2010s | 111 | +4% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 117 | +6% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 126 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 117. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lincoln
How many truck accidents are there in Lincoln?
1,360 truck crashes have been reported in Lancaster County since 2015, with 34 deaths and 801 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Lincoln?
NHTSA data shows I-80 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Lincoln since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Lincoln?
Truck crashes in Lancaster County peak in February, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Lincoln?
Since 2015, Lancaster County has reported 67 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How does Lincoln compare with Nebraska for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 35.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lancaster County, vs 60.7 for Nebraska.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lincoln?
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.