Des Moines, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Des Moines: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Des Moines and Colfax County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Colfax County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 137 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Colfax County compares with New Mexico
Colfax County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Colfax County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Colfax County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 97.5 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 2.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 53% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 30% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 18.2% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.2% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 20% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.1% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.5% | 46.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 35.6% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with New Mexico, Colfax County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Colfax County: December the month with the most truck crashes: 16.1% of the year's total.
Overview
Colfax County has recorded 137 truck crashes since 2015, with 59 people injured and 6 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 30 days in fully reported years.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Des Moines since 2015; patterns below come from Colfax County as a whole.
36% of truck crash reports in Colfax County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (16.1% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.5% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 18.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (New Mexico: 12.1%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Des Moines since 2015: SR-456 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.7% share (New Mexico: 0.4%).
Route planning tips for Des Moines fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 18.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above New Mexico), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Colfax County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-456 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Colfax County) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 33 |
| US-64 | 7 |
| I 25 North Bd Fw | 5 |
| Interstate 25 Milepost 460 | 3 |
| Blk Clayton Road | 2 |
| I 25 Mm 459 | 2 |
| Interstate 25 Mile Marker 409 | 2 |
| Interstate 25, Mile Marker 447 | 2 |
Des Moines at a glance
| Population | 111 |
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
| Density | 128 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Colfax 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 | 4 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 5 | +25% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 9 | +69% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 12 | +38% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 12. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Des Moines
How many truck crashes happen in Des Moines?
137 truck crashes have been reported in Colfax County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 59 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Des Moines?
December has the most truck crashes in Colfax County, 16.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Des Moines?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Colfax County since 2015, 0.7% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Des Moines compare with New Mexico?
Colfax County records 97.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 45.6 across New Mexico.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Des Moines?
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.