Oak Harbor, OH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Oak Harbor: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Oak Harbor 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 runs above Ohio on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Ottawa County: 1 in 22 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.6%, against 2.5% for Ohio.
Overview
Since 2015, 284 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ottawa County. They injured 142 people and killed 8.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 15 days.
Oak Harbor had 5 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
Truck crashes peak in February (11.6% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.0%).
November through March accounts for 46.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.3% in Ohio.
The busiest hour is 6–7 am, with 9.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 8.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Ohio: 7.8%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-80 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (6). After it: US-20 (3), SR-163 (1) and SR-53 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 13 crashes, 4.6% of the total, against 2.5% across Ohio.
Route planning tips for Oak Harbor fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ottawa County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 8.8% of truck crashes here, more than Ohio; schedule winter 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 Ottawa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 6 |
| US-20 | 3 |
| SR-163 | 1 |
| SR-53 | 1 |
| TR-92 Toussaint Portage Rd | 1 |
| TR-98 W Schiller Rd | 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 |
Oak Harbor at a glance
| Population | 2,790 |
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,757 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 43449) | $71,083 |
| Median home value (ZIP 43449) | $185,912 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 21. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 Oak Harbor
How many truck accidents are there in Oak Harbor?
Ottawa County has had 284 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 142 people and killing 8.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Oak Harbor?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Oak Harbor: 6.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Oak Harbor?
February has the most truck crashes in Ottawa County, 11.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Oak Harbor?
Garbage trucks were involved in 13 reported crashes in Ottawa County since 2015 (4.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Oak Harbor compared with Ohio?
Ottawa County records 60.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 50.8 across Ohio.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Oak Harbor?
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.