Kalama, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kalama: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kalama and Cowlitz County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cowlitz County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 597 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cowlitz County compares with Washington
Cowlitz County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cowlitz County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cowlitz County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 44.8 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 26% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.2% | 9.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 29.0% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.0% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 32.2% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Cowlitz County has lower values than Washington for deaths per 100 crashes. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
Kalama at a glance: I-5 4 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Kalama.
Overview
Police reported 597 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cowlitz County since 2015: 109 people were injured and 14 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
With 62 truck crashes reported in Kalama since 2015, this page uses Cowlitz County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is May with 10.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is August at 6.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.0% of truck crashes, against 43.8% across Washington.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (7.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 9.2% of truck crashes, compared with 9.7% in Washington.
Where crashes happen
I-5 leads within 10 miles of Kalama with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-30 (3), CR-APIARY Rd (1) and CR-KALAMA River Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
13 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.2% share (Washington: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Kalama fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-5, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cowlitz County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 4 |
| US-30 | 3 |
| CR-APIARY Rd | 1 |
| CR-KALAMA River Rd | 1 |
| CR-MOUNT Pleasant Rd | 1 |
| SR-411 | 1 |
| SR-432 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cowlitz County) |
|---|---|
| Industrial Way | 8 |
| Sr-432*010.00 | 6 |
| 3Rd Ave Blk 500 | 4 |
| I-5 Mp 054.10 | 3 |
| Sr-432*004.40 | 3 |
| Sr-432*004.50 | 3 |
| Sr-433*001.00 | 3 |
| Tennant Way Blk 600 | 3 |
Kalama at a glance
| Population | 3,131 |
| Land area | 3.6 sq mi |
| Density | 869 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cowlitz 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 | 26 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 37 | +40% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 43 | +18% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 56 | +29% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 26 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 56. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Kalama
How many truck accidents are there in Kalama?
Cowlitz County has had 597 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 109 people and killing 14.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Kalama?
I-5 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Kalama since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Kalama?
May has the most truck crashes in Cowlitz County, 10.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Kalama?
Since 2015, Cowlitz County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.2% of its truck crashes.
How does Kalama compare with Washington for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Cowlitz County has 44.8 truck crashes a year; Washington has 25.8.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Kalama?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.