Merrick County, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Merrick 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
1 of 132 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Merrick County compares with Nebraska
Merrick County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Merrick County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Merrick County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 143.8 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 2.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 55% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.9% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 23% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.2% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.9% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 37% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.6% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Merrick County sits below Nebraska on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Nebraska on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
The headline for Merrick County: October 15.2% of truck crashes happen in October, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 132 crashes involving commercial trucks in Merrick County since 2015: 68 people were injured and 5 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 32 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (15.2% of the year) and are lowest in July (3.8%).
November through March accounts for 44.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 9.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.9% of truck crashes, compared with 16.7% in Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-30 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by CR-14TH Road (1) and SR-92 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.8% share (Nebraska: 1.8%).
Route planning tips for Merrick County fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Merrick County.
- Check whether your routes use US-30, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Merrick County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Merrick County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 3 |
| CR-14TH Road | 1 |
| SR-92 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Merrick County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 31 |
| Ne-92 | 5 |
| SR-30 | 4 |
| 030 /352.990/Us30 Ne Of "W" Rd-Ne Of Clarks | 3 |
| SR-92 | 3 |
| 014 /83.700/N14 & "P" Rd-N Of Central City | 2 |
| 030 /338.450/16Th St(Us30) W Of 5Th Ave-Ent | 2 |
| 030 /351.890/Us30 Sw Of 27Th Rd-Ne Of Clarks | 2 |
Merrick County at a glance
| Population | 7,837 |
| Land area | 487.8 sq mi |
| Density | 16 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $73,302 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Merrick 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 | 6 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 8 | +34% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 9 | +10% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 12 | +32% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 6 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 12. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Merrick County
ZIP codes in Merrick County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Merrick County
How many truck accidents are there in Merrick County?
132 truck crashes have been reported in Merrick County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 68 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Merrick County?
NHTSA data shows US-30 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes in Merrick County since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Merrick County?
The worst month is October: 15.2% of truck crashes in Merrick County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Merrick County?
Since 2015, Merrick County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 0.8% of its truck crashes.
How does Merrick County compare with Nebraska for truck crashes?
Merrick County records 143.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.7 across Nebraska.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Merrick 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.