Tulsa, OK truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Tulsa: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Tulsa compares with Oklahoma
Tulsa against Oklahoma and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Tulsa stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Tulsa | Oklahoma | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.8 | 79.3 | 49.7 | 25% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 39% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 2.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.4% | 5.3% | 6.2% | 36% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.0% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.9% | 12.8% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.6% | 40.4% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 16.0% | 25.4% | 24.8% | 37% below the state |
Tulsa sits below Oklahoma on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Tulsa: 1 in 32 crashes involve a garbage truck (85 since 2015), vs 1.4% across Oklahoma.
Overview
Tulsa has recorded 2,688 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,275 people injured and 67 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 9.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 6.2%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 36.6% of truck crashes, vs 40.4% for Oklahoma.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 8.2% of truck crashes.
3.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 5.3% across Oklahoma.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-44 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (17). Next come I-244 (7), US-169 (5) and US-75 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 85 of the truck crashes here, or 3.2%, compared with 1.4% in Oklahoma.
Their busiest month is June, with 18% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.3 deaths compared with 2.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Tulsa fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-44 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Tulsa.
- 25.0% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Oklahoma; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Crash reporting for 2019 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Tulsa
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-44 | 17 |
| I-244 | 7 |
| US-169 | 5 |
| US-75 | 3 |
| E 51st St | 2 |
| N Elm Pl | 2 |
| S Harvard Ave | 2 |
| S Sheridan Rd | 2 |
| SR-266 | 2 |
| SR-51 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tulsa) |
|---|---|
| I-44 | 394 |
| I-244 | 210 |
| US-169 | 117 |
| US-75 | 68 |
| S Memorial Dr | 36 |
| US-64 | 32 |
| E Pine St | 30 |
| S Us-169 | 27 |
Tulsa at a glance
| Population | 415,154 |
| Land area | 197.7 sq mi |
| Density | 2,100 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 74112) | $58,951 |
| Median home value (ZIP 74112) | $160,578 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tulsa 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 | 89 | — | 4.1 |
| 2000s | 132 | +48% | 6.9 |
| 2010s | 251 | +90% | 3.4 |
| 2020s | 234 | -6% | 9.8 |
In the 1990s about 89 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 234. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.8 a year in 2016–19, 9.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Tulsa
How many truck accidents are there in Tulsa?
2,688 truck crashes have been reported in Tulsa since 2015, with 67 deaths and 1,275 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Tulsa?
Since 2015, I-44 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Tulsa: 17.
When do most truck crashes happen in Tulsa?
The worst month is June: 9.7% of truck crashes in Tulsa happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Tulsa?
Garbage trucks were involved in 85 reported crashes in Tulsa since 2015 (3.2% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Tulsa compared with Oklahoma?
Tulsa records 59.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 79.3 across Oklahoma.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Tulsa?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2019; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.