Columbus, NM truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Columbus: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Columbus and Luna County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Luna County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 480 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Luna County compares with New Mexico
Luna County against New Mexico and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Luna County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Luna County | New Mexico | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 158.8 | 45.6 | 49.7 | 3.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.9 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 27% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.66 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.7% | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 15.5% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 32% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.1% | 11.7% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.7% | 46.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 30.5% | 30.2% | 24.8% | same |
Luna County has lower values than New Mexico for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above New Mexico on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Luna County: January 22.1% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 480 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Luna County. They injured 323 people and killed 33.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
With 5 truck crashes reported in Columbus since 2015, this page uses Luna County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
30% of truck crash reports in Luna County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 22.1% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (5.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 50.7% of truck crashes, against 46.8% across New Mexico.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
15.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 12.1% across New Mexico.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Columbus since 2015: SR-9 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Luna County.
Route planning tips for Columbus fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Luna County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 15.7% of truck crashes here, more than New Mexico; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Luna County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-9 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Luna County) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 151 |
| Interstate 10 Milepost 108 | 22 |
| Interstate 10 On Ramp | 16 |
| State Road 9 | 6 |
| Interstate 10 Milepost 94 | 6 |
| Interstate 10 & Lewis Flats Rd Ne | 6 |
| I-40 | 6 |
| SR-549 | 5 |
Columbus at a glance
| Population | 1,495 |
| Land area | 4.7 sq mi |
| Density | 320 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 88029) | $26,090 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Luna 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 | 10 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 16 | +55% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 22 | +36% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 49 | +120% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 10 a year in the 1990s and 49 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Columbus
How many truck accidents are there in Columbus?
480 truck crashes have been reported in Luna County since 2015, with 33 deaths and 323 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Columbus?
January has the most truck crashes in Luna County, 22.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Columbus?
Since 2015, Luna County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Columbus compare with New Mexico?
Luna County records 158.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 45.6 across New Mexico.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Columbus?
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.