Jal, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Jal: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Jal and Lea County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lea County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 1,199 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lea County compares with New Mexico
Lea County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lea County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lea County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 136.3 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 3.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.0 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 16% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 94% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.5% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.0% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 66% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.0% | 46.8% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 33.3% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Lea County sits below New Mexico on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above New Mexico on crashes per 100k residents / yr, morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark.
What stands out in Lea County: +413% yearly reported truck crashes went from 21 in the 2000s to 106 in the 2010s.
Overview
Lea County has recorded 1,199 truck crashes since 2015, with 607 people injured and 97 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 124 truck crashes were reported in Jal since 2015; patterns below come from Lea County as a whole.
36% of truck crash reports in Lea County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 11.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 6.1%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.0% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 9.4% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.7% of truck crashes, compared with 12.1% in New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Jal is SR-128, with 13 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-18 (7).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 0.4% of the total, against 0.4% across New Mexico.
Route planning tips for Jal fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-128, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Morning starts matter: 28.5% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than New Mexico.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Lea County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-128 | 13 |
| SR-18 | 7 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lea County) |
|---|---|
| Us 62/180 | 36 |
| SR-128 | 34 |
| W Nm Highway 128 | 21 |
| State Road 128 | 19 |
| State Road 18 | 18 |
| Nmsr 128 | 16 |
| SR-18 | 15 |
| Battle Axe Rd | 13 |
Jal at a glance
| Population | 2,192 |
| Land area | 4.8 sq mi |
| Density | 454 per sq mi |
| Median home value (ZIP 88252) | $98,091 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lea 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 | 12 | — | 2.0 |
| 2000s | 17 | +47% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 81 | +375% | 5.9 |
| 2020s | 95 | +16% | 6.8 |
In the 1990s about 12 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 95. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 7.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Jal
How many truck crashes happen in Jal?
Lea County has had 1,199 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 607 people and killing 97.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Jal?
Since 2015, SR-128 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Jal: 13.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Jal?
Truck crashes in Lea County peak in October, with 11.2% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Jal?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Lea County since 2015 (0.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Jal compared with New Mexico?
Per 100,000 residents, Lea County has 136.3 truck crashes a year; New Mexico has 45.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Jal?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.