Polk, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Polk: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Polk and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 72 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Polk County compares with Nebraska
Polk County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 120.8 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.71 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.7% | 16.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.7% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 20.4% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 55.7% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 14.3% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 42% below the state |
Polk County sits below Nebraska on garbage-truck share and after dark. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Polk County: 0 crashes involve a garbage truck (0 since 2015), vs 1.8% across Nebraska.
Overview
Police reported 72 crashes involving commercial trucks in Polk County since 2015: 51 people were injured and 4 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 57 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Polk since 2015; patterns below come from Polk County as a whole.
65% of truck crash reports in Polk County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (13.9% of the year) and are lowest in August (2.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 55.7% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 14.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 15.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Nebraska: 16.7%).
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Polk since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Polk County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Polk fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 25.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Nebraska.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| US-81 | 14 |
| 081 /78.970/Main St(Us81) At Tenth St | 3 |
| 081 /85.520/Us81 & Polk St | 2 |
| 081 /92.250/Park St(Us81) & Walnut St(N69) | 2 |
| 081 /94.030/Us81 W Of Cr "W"-Ent-E Of Shelby | 2 |
| 092 /394.490/N92 E Of Cr "K"-W Of Osceola | 2 |
| Ne-92 | 2 |
| Us Hwy 81-92 | 2 |
Polk at a glance
| Population | 345 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 706 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 68654) | $64,643 |
| Median home value (ZIP 68654) | $118,756 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 5 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 4 | -14% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 6 | +41% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 6 | -11% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 6. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Polk
How many truck crashes happen in Polk?
Polk County has had 72 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 51 people and killing 4.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk?
Truck crashes in Polk County peak in March, with 13.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Polk?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Polk County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How does Polk compare with Nebraska for truck crashes?
Polk County records 120.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.7 across Nebraska.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Polk?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.