Mertens, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mertens: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mertens and Hill County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hill County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 1,048 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Hill County compares with Texas
Hill County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hill County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hill County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 230.7 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 3.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 21% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.5% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 54% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.5% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 2.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.3% | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.9% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 1.9× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.7% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Hill County sits below Texas on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Hill County at a glance: 4.5% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 1.7% across Texas.
Overview
Hill County has recorded 1,048 truck crashes since 2015, with 489 people injured and 55 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 3 truck crashes were reported in Mertens since 2015; patterns below come from Hill County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (5.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Texas.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 6.9% of truck crashes.
4.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across Texas.
Where crashes happen
I-35E leads within 10 miles of Mertens with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-35 (4), SR-171 (3) and US-35E (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 0.5%, compared with 1.1% in Texas.
Route planning tips for Mertens fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-35E at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- With 4.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Texas), plan winter equipment 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 Hill County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35E | 5 |
| I-35 | 4 |
| SR-171 | 3 |
| US-35E | 1 |
| US-77 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hill County) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 54 |
| Sh 171 | 5 |
| Sh 22 | 3 |
| Coke St | 2 |
| Corsicana Hwy | 2 |
| E Live Oak | 2 |
| Ih 35 Hwy | 2 |
| S 1679 Ih 35 | 2 |
Mertens at a glance
| Population | 156 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 359 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hill 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 | 42 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 82 | +95% | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 77 | -6% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 94 | +22% | 4.2 |
In the 1990s about 42 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 94. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Mertens
How common are truck crashes in Mertens?
Since 2015, 1,048 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Hill County (489 injured, 55 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Mertens?
Since 2015, I-35E has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Mertens: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Mertens?
February has the most truck crashes in Hill County, 11.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Mertens?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Hill County since 2015 (0.5% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Mertens compared with Texas?
Hill County records 230.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 62.9 across Texas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Mertens?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.