Clay Center, OH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Clay Center: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Clay Center and Ottawa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ottawa County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 284 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ottawa County compares with Ohio
Ottawa County against Ohio and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ottawa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ottawa County | Ohio | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 60.2 | 50.8 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 52% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.6% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.8% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.7% | 21.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.1% | 18.9% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.4% | 42.3% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 26.2% | 25.8% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Ohio, Ottawa County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Ottawa County: 1 in 22 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.6%, vs 2.5% in Ohio.
Overview
Police reported 284 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ottawa County since 2015: 142 people were injured and 8 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 15 days.
Clay Center had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Ottawa County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 11.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 6.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 46.4% of truck crashes, vs 42.3% for Ohio.
The busiest hour is 6–7 am, with 9.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 8.8% of truck crashes, compared with 7.8% in Ohio.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Clay Center since 2015: I-280 (4), I-80 (4), SR-2 (2), SR-420 (2) and SR-579 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 13 of the truck crashes here, or 4.6%, compared with 2.5% in Ohio.
Route planning tips for Clay Center fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ottawa County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 8.8% of truck crashes here, more than Ohio; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Ottawa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-280 | 4 |
| I-80 | 4 |
| SR-2 | 2 |
| SR-420 | 2 |
| SR-579 | 2 |
| CR-179 Cedar Point Rd | 1 |
| CR-180 Corduroy Rd | 1 |
| I-75 | 1 |
| Miami St | 1 |
| Mu-Front St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ottawa County) |
|---|---|
| Ir 80 | 77 |
| SR-2 | 64 |
| SR-163 | 35 |
| SR-579 | 17 |
| SR-51 | 14 |
| State Route 2 St | 6 |
| State Route 2 Hw | 5 |
| SR-19 | 4 |
Clay Center at a glance
| Population | 248 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 245 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 43408) | $61,719 |
| Median home value (ZIP 43408) | $124,916 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ottawa 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 | 2 | — | 2.8 |
| 2000s | 26 | +1190% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 25 | -2% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 21 | -15% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 21. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Clay Center
How many truck crashes happen in Clay Center?
Ottawa County has had 284 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 142 people and killing 8.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Clay Center?
The worst month is February: 11.6% of truck crashes in Ottawa County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Clay Center?
Since 2015, Ottawa County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Clay Center compared with Ohio?
Per 100,000 residents, Ottawa County has 60.2 truck crashes a year; Ohio has 50.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Clay Center?
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.