Salt Lake City, UT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Salt Lake City: 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
21 of 1,557 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Salt Lake City compares with Utah
Salt Lake City against Utah and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Salt Lake City stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Salt Lake City | Utah | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 65.1 | 35.6 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 61% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.6% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.8% | 23.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.2% | 15.8% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 43.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.5% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Utah, Salt Lake City is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Salt Lake City: 1.8× fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Salt Lake City per year, 2020–24 vs 2016–19 (7.8 vs 4.2).
Overview
Police reported 1,557 crashes involving commercial trucks in Salt Lake City since 2015: 569 people were injured and 32 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 10.5% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.3% of truck crashes, against 43.0% across Utah.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (7.8%).
6.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.0% across Utah.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-15 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (9). It is followed by I-80 (6), SR-154 (6) and SR-68 (6).
Garbage & waste trucks
21 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (Utah: 1.5%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in February (14% of them).
Route planning tips for Salt Lake City fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-15, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: February is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Salt Lake City.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Crash reporting for 2023 and 2025 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 Salt Lake City
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-15 | 9 |
| I-80 | 6 |
| SR-154 | 6 |
| SR-68 | 6 |
| I-215 | 5 |
| SR-85 | 4 |
| SR-201 | 3 |
| SR-171 | 2 |
| SR-48 | 2 |
| 1730 South | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Salt Lake City) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 177 |
| I-15 | 114 |
| I-80, At - | 82 |
| I-15, At - | 54 |
| I-215 | 44 |
| SR-201 | 33 |
| I-215, At - | 23 |
| West | 22 |
Salt Lake City at a glance
| Population | 217,783 |
| Land area | 110.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,964 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Salt Lake City 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 | 138 | — | 6.5 |
| 2000s | 172 | +25% | 4.5 |
| 2010s | 157 | -9% | 5.2 |
| 2020s | 102 | -35% | 8.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 138 a year in the 1990s and 102 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 5.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Salt Lake City
How many truck crashes happen in Salt Lake City?
1,557 truck crashes have been reported in Salt Lake City since 2015, with 32 deaths and 569 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Salt Lake City?
I-15 had 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Salt Lake City since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Salt Lake City?
August has the most truck crashes in Salt Lake City, 10.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Salt Lake City?
21 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Salt Lake City since 2015, 1.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Salt Lake City compared with Utah?
The yearly rate is 65.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Salt Lake City, vs 35.6 for Utah.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Salt Lake City?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
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.