Cottonwood Heights, UT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cottonwood Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cottonwood Heights and Salt Lake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Salt Lake County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Salt Lake County compares with Utah
Salt Lake County against Utah and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Salt Lake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Salt Lake County | Utah | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.0 | 35.6 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 56% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.6% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 23.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.0% | 15.8% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 43.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.0% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 21% below the state |
Salt Lake County has lower values than Utah for deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
The headline for Cottonwood Heights: I-15 6 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Cottonwood Heights.
Overview
Police reported 4,376 crashes involving commercial trucks in Salt Lake County since 2015: 1,905 people were injured and 88 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 29 truck crashes were reported in Cottonwood Heights since 2015; patterns below come from Salt Lake County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 7.2%.
November through March accounts for 40.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.0% in Utah.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 5.6% of truck crashes, compared with 9.0% in Utah.
Where crashes happen
I-15 leads within 10 miles of Cottonwood Heights with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-215 (4), SR-154 (2) and 2100 S (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
89 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.0% share (Utah: 1.5%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in January (11% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Cottonwood Heights fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-15, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Salt Lake County.
- 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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2023 and 2025, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Salt Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-15 | 6 |
| I-215 | 4 |
| SR-154 | 2 |
| 2100 S | 1 |
| 900 W | 1 |
| Bangerter Pkwy | 1 |
| Highland Dr | 1 |
| I-80 | 1 |
| Lone Peak Parkway | 1 |
| SR-151 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Salt Lake County) |
|---|---|
| I-15 | 481 |
| I-15, At - | 230 |
| I-80 | 230 |
| I-80, At - | 109 |
| South | 109 |
| I-215 | 98 |
| SR-201 | 89 |
| West | 62 |
Cottonwood Heights at a glance
| Population | 32,437 |
| Land area | 9.2 sq mi |
| Density | 3,517 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Salt Lake 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 | 330 | — | 6.5 |
| 2000s | 412 | +25% | 4.5 |
| 2010s | 433 | +5% | 5.2 |
| 2020s | 299 | -31% | 8.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 330 a year in the 1990s and 299 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 5.2 a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cottonwood Heights
How many truck crashes happen in Cottonwood Heights?
Since 2015, 4,376 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Salt Lake County (1,905 injured, 88 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Cottonwood Heights?
I-15 had 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cottonwood Heights since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cottonwood Heights?
The worst month is August: 10.0% of truck crashes in Salt Lake County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cottonwood Heights?
Since 2015, Salt Lake County has reported 89 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Cottonwood Heights compare with Utah?
Per 100,000 residents, Salt Lake County has 34.0 truck crashes a year; Utah has 35.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Cottonwood Heights?
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 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.