Panhandle, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Panhandle: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Panhandle and Carson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Carson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 309 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Carson County compares with Texas
Carson County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Carson County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 491.2 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 7.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.0× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.64 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 68% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 29.0% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 17.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.0% | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 27.3% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 2.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 54.2% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 34.6% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Compared with Texas, Carson County is lower on garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Carson County at a glance: 29.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 1.7% in Texas.
Overview
Since 2015, 309 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Carson County. They injured 198 people and killed 26.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 13 days.
Only 10 truck crashes were reported in Panhandle since 2015; patterns below come from Carson County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 15.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is August at 3.6%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 54.2% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Texas.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 8.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 29.0% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in Texas.
Where crashes happen
SR-207 leads within 10 miles of Panhandle with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: I-40 (2), Fm 293 (1) and US-60 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 0.3%, compared with 1.1% in Texas.
Route planning tips for Panhandle fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-207; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 29.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Texas; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Carson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-207 | 3 |
| I-40 | 2 |
| Fm 293 | 1 |
| US-60 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carson County) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 7 |
| Us Hwy 60 Hwy | 2 |
| Ih 40 Service Road | 1 |
| L Rd | 1 |
| W 400 Hwy 60 | 1 |
Panhandle at a glance
| Population | 2,315 |
| Land area | 2.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,090 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 79068) | $86,264 |
| Median home value (ZIP 79068) | $170,810 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carson 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 | 21 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 22 | +3% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 22 | +4% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 33 | +50% | 2.4 |
In the 1990s about 21 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 33. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Panhandle
How common are truck crashes in Panhandle?
Carson County has had 309 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 198 people and killing 26.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Panhandle?
NHTSA data shows SR-207 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Panhandle since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Panhandle?
Truck crashes in Carson County peak in December, with 15.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Panhandle?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Carson County since 2015 (0.3% of truck crashes).
How does Panhandle compare with Texas for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Carson County has 491.2 truck crashes a year; Texas has 62.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Panhandle?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2023; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.